Taste of home: ZJU canteens bring students' hometown dishes to campus

Since its launchin October 2024, the "You Say, We Make Together" food wish campaign at Zhejiang University (ZJU) has received nearly 5,000 food wishes from students and faculty across the country. To ease homesickness and bring a touch of home to the campus, ZJU's dining services have been working to turn these culinary wishes into reality.

The initiative, which began by introducing requested dishes to canteen menus, has recently upgraded. The new phase features "Food Wish Workshops," where students are invited into the kitchens to prepare ingredients, knead dough, and cook alongside campus chefs. So far, three workshop sessions have been held, successfully bridging the gap between students and the kitchen staff. Starting Monday, June 8, the second batch of 54 selected wish dishes has been rolled out across various campus canteens.

These dishes represent a diverse map of regional flavors. For LIU, a student from Jiangxi Province, the ultimate comfort food is Lianhua Blood Duck (lianhua xue ya, 莲花血鸭). "Every time I go back home, I look forward to this dish made by my grandmother," LIU said. The canteen chefs at the Zijingang Campus recreated the savory, spicy dish, bringing back fond memories of family gatherings.

At the same campus, JIANG, a student from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, found comfort in a bowl of  Seafood Hot and Sour Soup (haixian suanla tang, 海鲜酸辣汤). "This bowl of soup instantly takes me back to my childhood and makes me feel wrapped in my family's love," JIANG shared.

The culinary journey extends across other campuses as well. At the Huajiachi Campus, YU from Liaoning Province recommended Shenyang-style Tossed Chicken Carcass (Shenyang ban ji jia, 沈阳拌鸡架), a popular street food from Shenyang that represents the "happiness code" of his youth. Meanwhile, at the Xixi Campus, XU from Lishui, Zhejiang Province, introduced Golden Coin Eggs (jinqian dan, 金钱蛋)—sliced boiled eggs deep-fried to a golden crisp and stir-fried with chili and fermented black beans—a dish she fell in love with during a trip to Changsha, Hunan Province.

At the Haining Campus, ZHANG shared his love for Stir-fried Pork with Chilies (xiaochao rou, 小炒肉). "For anyone away from home, there is always a dish in their heart," ZHANG said. "It is not about how expensive it is, but its simple, steaming presence that represents home."

The food wish campaign is still ongoing. Students and faculty can submit their favorite dishes online or drop physical wish cards into collection boxes at canteen service desks across ZJU's seven campuses. Through these customized dishes, ZJU canteens are serving more than just meals—they are delivering warmth, care, and a true taste of home.

Adapted and translated from the article written by ZHONG Lingyuxiu, WANG Dan
Translator: JIANG Chenqi ('27, Structural Engineering)
Photo: WANG Dan
Editor: JIANG Chenqi, DING Chenwei