Food is often used as the bridge to piece together different cultures. When thinking about people and places different from one’s own, the first thing that comes to mind is the delicious and tangible ways people connect with each other through their taste buds.
At NIU, a campus with a diverse student body including approximately 970 international students as of May 2025, students from around the world not only bring new flavors to our university but create a community around them with the dishes they bring to the table.
In this article, we will feature a student who has introduced us to two of their favorite cultural foods. The recipe for each cultural food can be found below.
DIVING INTO EACH DISH
Ozod Abdumanonov, a third year accounting major, chose to represent his roots from Uzbekistan and more specifically Tajik culture. Abdumanonov spoke about two of his favorite foods: obi non, a flatbread cooked in a special clay oven called a tandyr, and kompot, a traditional non-alcoholic beverage made up of seasonal fruit that is easily prepared and enjoyed year round.
In Uzbek culture, Obi non (also commonly known as ‘non’) can be prepared in a multitude of ways depending on the region in which it is made. However, to Abdumanonov, his preferred version is the most straightforward.
“You can make it in different ways or use different ratios, but the recipe’s pretty cut and dry. Usually, what’s more important is how it’s cooked,” he said. “So, when you use the tandyr, it builds a lot of the flavor off that. It has a taste of fire, and has a crispy crust with a very soft interior. It is very one note, but it is a very nice one note”
With a mixture of flour, water, yeast and salt, non brings back memories of home while keeping a sort of simplicity that makes it relatively easy to remember and make — well, that is if you have the clay oven that gives it that smokey taste that is essential to the flavor, according to Abdumanonov.
While non may need ingredients that most college students do not have access to, Abdumanonov mentioned not every traditional dish will take as much effort to bring back a taste of home.
For those craving something simpler and sweeter, Uzbek kompot may be the way to go as it doesn’t demand special equipment or long hours of preparation to make it.
Kompot is a sweet, refreshing drink that is made of various seasonal fruits (or a mixture of your choice), that is a popular choice across Central Asia as well as certain regions of Eastern Europe. Recipes often vary by region and even by different families, but according to Abdumanonov, the process is easy to go about.
“It doesn’t have to be anything specific, whatever flavors you like. Usually my family uses apricots, white blackberries, and even raspberries” he said, “You just take those, you cut them up, boil some water, and add the cut fruit once the water comes to a boil. Eventually, you’d lower the temperature and let it marinate.”
Abdumananov then described the way in which kompot is stored, mentioning that it’s usually put away in a cold, dark space during the cold season, and later enjoyed in warmer months.
Through dishes like obi non and kompot, Abdumanonov shows how food can connect people, stories, and traditions. At NIU, each shared meal becomes a chance to taste the flavors of the world and build a stronger, more connected campus community.
