Taste of OSU 2026 featured a world-class menu with 34 distinct dishes served up with a side of music and dancing. The Ohio Union was transformed into a vibrant gathering place on February 13 where every Buckeye who attended could immerse themselves in a cultural experience without leaving campus.
This year more than 45 international student organizations prepared two of their favorite recipes from their home countries, decorated a cultural booth and entertained the crowd with performances that best represented their diverse cultures and regions of the world.
"My favorite moment at Taste of OSU is looking out at the crowd and realizing how many people are learning something new about a culture that isn’t their own," said Christine Lee, a senior majoring in finance and student chair of Taste of OSU. "That sense of curiosity and respect is what transforms this event from a program into a shared experience."
Taste of OSU was first held in Oxley Hall in 1997. There were four electric rice cookers, a gyro rotisserie and one large chicken roaster overloading the circuit breaker every few minutes. Approximately 60 people attended the event that spring day to enjoy a plate of international food on the lawn in front of the building.
Organized by the Office of International Affairs, Taste of OSU is a long-standing tradition at Ohio State and provides a space for students from many different backgrounds to celebrate their culture and traditions with the campus community. The event continues to be free to attend and guests purchase $1 tickets to buy a small “taste” of food from the participating student organizations.
To add a little spice to Taste of OSU, students participate in a friendly competition throughout the event to determine the best tasting dish and the best cultural booth.
Students work in teams alongside campus chefs in the Ohio Union to prepare their dishes. Recipes are judged by those who love good food as well as experts in the culinary field. Dishes are scored based on flavor, variety, texture and presentation.
Many of the cultural booths displayed included posters, country flags, historical retrospectives, interactive presentations – even recreating traditional weddings – to tell a story that will resonate with the judges. Booths receive scores based on innovative ideas, quality design and communicating key takeaways of the country/region.
Also highlighting the evening were the 26 groups that performed on stage to share traditional songs and dances from all around the world. Every genre one could imagine was on display – from K-pop to Bharatanatyam to Greek, Chinese and Irish traditional dances.
The 2026 Taste of OSU winners are: Bangladeshi Student Association (first place in food); Taiwanese American Student Association and Taiwanese Student Association (second place in food); Western Sahel Student Association (third place in food); Iraqi Student Association (first place in cultural booth); Sri Lanka Association (second place in cultural booth); North and South Sudanese Student Association (third place in cultural booth); Pakistani American Students’ Association (first place in tickets collected); Brazilian Student Association (second place in tickets collected); and the Puerto Rican Student Association (third place in tickets collected).