The Winter Olympics are in full swing. The athletes competing in South Korea come from different cultures, and their backgrounds have helped turn them into the competitors they are today.

Support from home helps many athletes as they compete in the games. We know what evokes images of home for us, but what cuisines would do the same for them? Hopefully, these dishes will help you better grasp what a taste of home is like for those athletes competing in the Winter Olympics.

Ghanaian: Light soup

In Ghana, households will buy the freshest ingredients on the morning they decide to prepare light soup. Light soup is a spicy, tomato-based soup that can be made with a variety of meats.

The dish is eaten with Fufu, which is a starchy food made from cassava and plantains that are pounded together until they achieve a dough-like consistency. Fufu is traditionally eaten with the hands and helps counteract the heat of the soup if you can’t handle spicy foods.

Swedish: Janssons Frestelse

The direct translation for Janssons Frestelse is Jansson’s temptation, and a temptation it is. The Janssons Frestelse is a traditional Swedish casserole that normally consists of potatoes, onions and pickled sprats. The closest dish this can be compared to is a potato gratin that’s been spiced up with some sprats, which is a small type of fish that adds a kick to the dish.

Korean: Bibimbap

Now for the host of this year’s Winter Olympics. How could I not include Korea in this rundown of popular dishes from around the globe? A popular Korean dish is Bibimbap. In its simplest form, it’s a bowl of white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables with chili paste, soy sauce or a fermented soybean paste, accompanied with protein like a fried egg and topped with sliced meat.

The best part about this dish is the simplicity of it, and the ability to customize based on your tastes. If you can’t handle the spiciness, then you can limit the load of heat.

French: Coq au Vin

The French are well-known for their amazing food, which makes them a solid choice to be in this group. A French dish my family likes to make is Coq au Vin — in English, that means chicken with wine.

This dish is exactly what its name implies. It’s chicken cooked in wine with a wide array of farm vegetables like carrots and mushrooms. Traditionally, this dish takes a while to cook since it requires a long and slow braising to cook the chicken. Coq au Vin is normally made with burgundy wine, but it’s recommended that when you’re cooking this dish you use wine that you’re comfortable with drinking.

With most meals, the French will usually have a baguette to go with it, which makes any French food worth a try.

Moldovan: Sarmale

Sarmale is a classic Moldovan dish that shows up in other parts of the globe with some minor variations. It’s made with few ingredients, including vegetables, meat and rice. Those ingredients are then rolled in cabbage leaves and can be served in a variety of soups. Despite its simplicity, this dish takes some time to prepare and cook. Still, no matter where you’re from, I think you’ll love this dish.

Ethiopian: Doro Wot

Doro Wot is a favorite of mine because of the spices and the way it’s served. Most Ethiopian dishes are eaten using your fingers. Ethiopians use a special bread called Injera to pick up the food. My favorite is the Doro Wot, which is a long-stewed dish of chicken.

Most Ethiopian foods are toward the heavier side regarding the use of spices. The dishes are often served family-style, so there can be more dishes that accompany the Doro Wot.

Albanian: Tavë Kosi

The Albanian national dish is Tavë kosi, which is garlicky lamb and rice baked with a thick layer of yogurt. Known as “melting pot” cuisine, the dish translates to yogurt casserole.

These seven dishes represent home for some of the athletes competing from these countries, so take a taste from their home to yours.

Taylor Lucero is an information management and technology major who is hoping to pursue a career in cybersecurity. His other passions include tasting food, sipping coffee, hugging dogs and taking the occasional power nap. He can be reached at tlucero@syr.edu.

Published on February 22, 2018 at 12:50 am