Marketplace fare lacking actual ethnicity

Nichole Acosta
Staff Writer

   Lo mein "tossed noodles:" a dish that consists of fresh Chinese noodles (made from wheat flour and eggs) and shrimp, chicken or beef with mixed vegetables, prepared by boiling the noodles until cooked "al dente."
   The first time I saw sweet and sour shrimp lo mein on the Marketplace menu, I thought to myself, "This should be interesting."
   When I arrived at the Marketplace for lunch, I went straight for the lo mein. It was linguini (and, at a later date, spaghetti) in a bland sauce that was far from sweet and far from sour, disguising itself as the dish I had known from home to be lo mein.
   I was outraged when linguini with basil was on the menu for dinner. The same linguini that had presented itself to me earlier that day as a Chinese dish had suddenly turned Italian. I cannot be Chinese, Puerto Rican and Irish (as I am) by day and present myself as another ethnicity at night. It would not be true to my own cultural identity.
   On another note, what's with the Asian soup? As if all of Asia had one particular soup they eat. Just because China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and a host of other countries lie within Asia does not mean we have the exact same traditions, beliefs, language or food.
   It would not be difficult for the Marketplace menu to rename these two dishes for what they really are: linguini with shrimp and whatever the components of Asian soup are. To do so would help students in making their food selections, as there would be more detail about them and it would prevent students from avoiding ethnic foods.
   I realize the noodles and soup most likely were not prepared with the intent of offending others. Taking more consideration in naming food items in the Marketplace is important for two reasons.
   It will help students make better food choices, and it will also give them a chance to enjoy the food of different cultures, rather than shy away from things that differ from what they are used to.

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