Ghanaian Students' Recipes Win Top Honors at INRTU Festival Culinary Journey – 2025

The "Culinary Journey – 2025" festival was held at INRTU, bringing together the gastronomic traditions of Russia, Asia, and Africa. Students impressed guests with enoki mushroom shrimp, chicken marinated in cola, Turkmen pilaf, and citrus tea with caramel. At a master class run by the Baikal Hospitality School, attendees could try their hand at making pancakes with berries and cream cheese.

The event on December 10 was organized by the Baikal School of BRICS (BS BRICS), INRTU Catering Centre, the Baikal Hospitality School (BHS) and INRTU Trade Union Students Club.

The festival was coordinated by Ilia Kruchinin, Deputy Director for Foreign Affairs at BS BRICS. According to him, this was the third iteration of the event. This year's concept was revamped. Previously held in the intimate setting of the Marble Hall, the festival expanded in scale, moving to the lobby of the main building. Another new feature was the competition. Nine teams participated, presenting dishes from African, Korean, Chinese, and Central Asian cuisines. The cooks included not only amateurs but also those with real experience working in restaurants and bars. Students prepared their dishes under the guidance of the INRTU Catering Centre staff.

At the festival's opening, guests and participants were welcomed by Daria Lobanova, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy. She noted that such events introduce students to the culture and traditions of other countries and energize them before the exam period. The Vice-Rector thanked the organizers for taking the festival to a new level.

The "Culinary Journey" featured four routes. Students acted as guides, telling the stories behind the dishes. Instead of a ticket, each guest received a special container. The food tour began at the heartiest station, featuring Turkmen pilaf, stewed beans with meat, and Cameroon's puff-puffs called “Beignets”.

Next was the Asian part of the journey. First-year students from China surprised guests with a mix of spicy shrimp, glass noodles, Beijing cabbage, and thread-like enoki mushrooms. A team led by student Zhang Ruijie served chicken wings marinated in cola. It is worth noting that this bold combination of ingredients is quite popular among youth in China. The original treat was such a hit with guests that the wings were literally swept off the table.

The Eastern exotic fare was complemented by sweet and sour beef (bulgogi) and gimbap – a popular Korean roll made of seaweed sheets filled with rice and omelet. These snacks were prepared by a group of Russian students learning the Korean language.

First-year student Tukur Isah Ibrahim works as a cook in an Irkutsk restaurant chain. The Nigerian decided to showcase his culinary skills to the festival guests through his own take on Russian cuisine. He supervised a group that prepared Pozharsky cutlets with a crispy breading.

A real buzz was around the table of Kanyinsola Adewusi – a professional chef from Nigeria who elevates cooking to an art form. Together with his team, he presented spaghetti, chicken thighs in a spicy sauce, and a potato-meat salad with cherry tomatoes.

The festive pre-New Year mood was the responsibility of Maksim Rodichev, an AI technology student at INRTY. A professional bartender, Maksim used his experience to help students develop recipes for 100 liters of drinks that perfectly fit the holiday atmosphere.

As Maksim Rodichev noted, together with Chinese assistants he prepared a caramel-citrus tea. A Russian student suggested he refine the recipe for German glühwein.

“The winter drink was in high demand. We used lemon, orange, and apple as the main ingredients, adding grated ginger, nutmeg, anise, and cinnamon for a rich flavor. We also served a mint and cucumber lemonade at the bar. It's great for refreshing the palate – just what was needed today after the abundance of spicy dishes from our Chinese friends!”

said Maksim.

Another highlight of the gastronomic festival were the master classes from the Baikal Hospitality School. Baking secrets were shared with INRTU students by Alena Eshchenko, a teacher at the School and head of the bakery section. She taught guests how to make pancakes with a filling of blueberries and the most delicate cream cheese.

According to Alena Eshchenko, over 40 people joined the master classes. She was assisted by BS BRICS student Omorara Sunny, who came to Irkutsk to study from Nigeria. Omorara combines her studies to become an IT specialist with work at INRTU's Catering Combine, helping cooks prepare sandwiches and hot dogs.

The best participants of “Culinary Journey – 2025” were determined by BS BRICS teachers. The judges primarily focused on the taste and presentation of the dishes. Victory went to the team of students from Ghana – Roselyn Semakor and Dennis Addo-Teye. They prepared spicy spring rolls with chicken fillet and Jollof rice.

As Dennis noted, despite its visual resemblance to pilaf, Jollof rice is a distinct, truly African dish.

“We add tomato paste and lots of spices to the rice. This gives the food its expressive taste and color. There are many Jollof recipes in Africa, but the tastiest one is, of course, made in my homeland, Ghana,”

said Dennis Addo-Teye with a smile.

Second place was won by students from Turkmenistan (Aydogdi Tashov's group). Five students demonstrated their culinary talents in this team, including future Russian language teacher Guncha Abbasova. She helped her colleagues prepare pilaf and fried pastry twists. In the student's opinion, such festivals bring people together and help those studying far from home remember their families with warmth.

Third place went to students from Cameroon, supervised by Chouna Fred Vianol.

It should be noted that the organizers also took care of the event's ambiance. A large screen in the lobby showed footage of all the dishes being prepared the day before. The festival was enhanced by a performance from drummers of the folk club of ethnic percussion "Ethnobit studio" and a vocal gift from African students.