Students crowd around the Taiwan table on the Palo Alto High School Quad at lunch, on Thursday, their plates holding food from 27 different cultures and countries, including mini boba drinks representing Taiwanese traditions. According to sophomore Meghna Singh, she enjoyed the delicious food and learning about the many different cultures. “I’m really happy that the school … is doing it for the first time and I thought that food was absolutely divine,” Singh said. “It was really fun to see all the different cultures and different types of food.”
Following Palo Alto High School’s first cultural celebration & Spring Fling, organizers and contributors who hosted a multicultural music celebration in the Peer Centery and helped the Quad transform into a vibrant global marketplace offering culinary delights from 27 different cultures on Thursday.
From France’s crepes and caramel-flavored candies to Taiwan’s boba drinks, parent volunteers and student leaders set up tables showcasing their heritage through food, decorations, and conversation. The event, celebrating cultural diversity, brought the Paly community together to share traditions and flavors from around the world.
According to Marcela Dorigo, a parent volunteer who hosted the Argentina table, she enjoyed the event because it showed the variety and diversity Paly holds.
“It’s the first time the Paly had it [the Spring Fling], and it’s really wonderful to show the variety and the diversity we have here,” Dorigo said. “I want this event to keep growing and see more countries represented year after year.”
Senior and co-president of the Latino Club, Angelah Hernandez, said she enjoyed educating students about Hispanic culture.
“My favorite thing about the event is that people who had no idea about our Hispanic culture came and asked us questions and wanted to know more,” Hernandez said. “It made me really happy.”
Many PTSA volunteers collaborated by bringing authentic treats to students. Dorigo, along with two other parents, provided sweet snacks that are a staple in Argentina.
“We decided to bring sweet things from Argentina,” Dorigo said. “We have alfajores cookies with dulce de leche, which is very typical of Argentina, and everything is sweet based.”
Wendie Karel, a parent volunteer for the Jewish and Israeli table, prepared traditional model bread from scratch and served rugelach, a well-known dessert.
“Oren’s Hummus donated hummus and pitas for us, which was really generous of them,” Karel said. “I love how there are 27 tables here, representing 27 countries. It’s so much fun to be able to feed everyone at lunchtime with food from all over the globe.”
Sophomore Meghna Singh particularly enjoyed a dish from the Finland table and explained that there are little opportunities like this one for the community to enjoy all together.
“I liked Finland because they had these potato dumplings that I really liked,” Singh said. “There aren’t many opportunities for the whole school to come together, but everyone learning about different cultures in one place felt very unifying.”
Marilyn Li, a parent volunteer, said the event lets parents see lunchtime and helps students enjoy special food and learn about different cultures.
“It’s a great opportunity for parents to be involved and see what lunchtime is like on campus,” Li said. “It also ensures students have something special to eat and experience different cultures through food and traditions.”
Other highlights included sushi at the Japan table, pork buns from the Hong Kong table, and Taiwanese boba drinks. Taiwan’s table featured a pop-up display of Taipei 101, one of the country’s most famous landmarks.
Parent volunteer Sandra Liebeck, leader of the Hong Kong table, said the event brings students and parents a sense of community.
“I love this event because it just gives the students a community, and it makes them proud of their culture,” Liebeck said. “Then for us parents, it gives us a community, like I met some new moms — it was just a collaborative event that brings awareness to our culture and we love it and the kids love it.”
According to sophomore Stella Guo, she enjoyed the diverse atmosphere and the food at the event.
“There was a lemon pound cake that was delicious and a Mexican pastry that was also amazing,” Guo said. “This is a super colorful community with so many different cultures, and I got to try a lot of new foods from around the world.”
