Asia has many counties that have their own distinct cultures. The annual Taste of Asia event at Salt Lake Community College is designed to highlight different Asian cultures and draw attention to their uniqueness.
The event includes traditional lion dancers to kick off the event. This year, Taste of Asia will focus on the culture and lifestyle of Mongolia. The event will include traditional Mongolian food, three dance performances, Mongolian art and a guest speaker.
“A lot of people think that Asian culture is only Chinese, but there are so many different cultures and dialects. Every country is so different,” says Sulistiyani Kathol, event coordinator for Taste of Asia.
Taste of Asia has featured various Asian countries in years past, including China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
“Many people group all the [Asian] countries together and call the culture ‘Asian’,” says Mongolian SLCC student Khundra Gautumur. “Mongolia has its own distinct culture.”
The event is designed to highlight the uniqueness of Mongolian culture through experiencing a small taste of it.
“There are so many different ways students can learn from this event. First of all, people say they have heard about China, Japan or other Asian countries, but they don’t know about it. Now you can experience it,” says Kathol. “We want to increase the awareness of the many different Asian cultures that there are and show that Mongolia is not just a country on a map.”
The event is comparable to the Utah Asian Festival that is held in June at the South Towne Expo Center. Most of the entertainers that perform at the Utah Asian Festival perform at Taste of Asia in a more intimate setting.
Taste of Asia will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Student Event Center on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. The event is free of charge and open to the public.
