While coming to boarding school in the United States is an exciting experience for international students, the change in food can be disappointing for many.
Williston houses students from 28 different countries, and it’s safe to say food from different countries is noticeably different than what’s served in the dining hall. The majority of Williston students are boarders, with only 30% of the student population day students who go home every day and eat the meals they’ve known their whole life.
Even though Sage Dining has a long history of trying to make foods from different cultures, many students The Willistonian interviewed said it, to no fault of Sage’s, did not compare to home-cooked family meals from their country of origin.
Coraly Siegal, a senior, misses a specific staple from her home of Hamburg, Germany.
“I miss having bread and cheese from home,” Coraly remarked. “Sourdough from Germany is so much better than in the U.S., and the cheese is much better at home, too. Same thing with the fruits and vegetables, everything is just much fresher.”
Katya Krasnovskaya, a junior from Moscow, Russia, has been craving a very specific dish from home since her arrival on campus in September.
“It’s hard to describe, but it consists of potatoes, pickles, ham, and mayonnaise,” Katya said. “Its called Olivye.”
Many take for granted the enjoyment that comes with sitting down to eat an authentic meal with family, even if it just consists of takeout.
According to a recent Harvard study, only 30% of American families manage to eat dinner together on a regular basis. It’s a shocking statistic for many international students, especially with recent border and travel policies not allowing many students to go home.

“Back home I ate dinner with my family every night,” Katya said.
The Harvard study also said around 80% of teenagers reported that family dinner is the time they are most likely to converse with their parents, which many boarders miss out on without a regular family dinner.
Daniela Metta, a junior from Mexico, also had some thoughts on American students’ dinner traditions.
“The times people eat here versus back home are very different, but I usually ate lunch with my family every day and ate dinner four to five times a week with them,” Daniela said. “Here I’ve heard of some students eating family dinner, but back home there is always a set time for them and you have to be there.”
Those family meals, Daniela explained, consist of staples often found in the dining hall, just not on a daily basis.
“It has been really difficult to live without lime, avocado, and salsa verde in every meal,” Daniela said. “Meals at home are usually served with tortilla or salsa.”
While many students miss authentic foods from home, others crave simple snacks or even fast foods not available in the States.
Julian Bartels-Theil, a junior from Northampton who primarily resides in England, loves and misses English fast food.
“I really miss Greg’s Sausage Rolls,” Julian said. “McDonalds,” he added, “doesn’t even come close.”