For some, food is held sacred. For others, it is simply used as a means to survive. Regardless, the need to eat is something that spans across all cultures and societies, a unifying force that can bring us together.

It is within this spirit that we bring you this series to highlight the diverse community NIU has to offer with a bevy of flavors and dishes from around the world. The recipe for each cultural food can be found below.

NIU hosts a large number of international students, with an estimated 970 students attending in May 2025. 

In this edition the dish featured is frijoles con montes — or montañeros, which translates to beans of the mountains — is a simple dish that is often made with rustic ingredients, including pinto beans or black beans, herbs and simple aromatic flavors, such as chili, onions and garlic. 

One of the strengths of this meal is its easy adaptability to taste and preference, with several varieties found throughout Central and Latin America. 

Fernando Marroquin Mendoza, a second year world music pedagogy graduate student from Guatemala, shared that this staple meal reminds him of home.

“I really like this meal because it reminds me of home. My mom used to make it for us,” Mendoza said. “I really like it because I only need a few ingredients and it is easy to make. I usually have it by myself.”  

Mendoza’s mother often made the dish for company. The accessible ingredients can be easily doubled depending on how many people you are serving. 

The ingredients are easy to get ahold of from Walmart or other local stores. 

While some other varieties of this dish can be made with refried pinto beans, in Guatemala it is common to use refried black beans. 

With diversity and inclusion being important at NIU, nothing brings people together quite like food. By sampling a variety of different foods, we can hopefully learn more from one another. 

From one student’s kitchen to yours, International Flavors hopes to help you try new meals, or spice up old ones, with a delicious community bonding experience.