For several years now, South Ural State University has been traditionally organizing master classes on making Russian pancakes for international students. This joyful tradition coincides with Maslenitsa (Pancake Day) celebrations and allows students to immerse themselves in the holiday atmosphere by trying their hand at cooking.
The event not only helps students acquire culinary skills but also fosters intercultural communication: students work in teams, help each other, and share experiences. This helps overcome potential communication barriers.
"We have been holding Maslenitsa for four years now, and it has become a tradition for us. We organize it for our university's international students as part of their adaptation program, sharing Russian culture and history with them. Part of this culture are our holidays, such as Maslenitsa. Students always love this event; they learn how to bake pancakes, then they do it at home and share photos with us," noted Dina Valeeva, Director of the Sociocultural Adaptation Centre.
International students were not only taught the secrets of baking but also received a detailed explanation of the differences between traditional pancakes and classic Russian pancakes (blini). Students learned that the former are considered a quicker option, while the latter are fluffier due to their yeast base and symbolize the sun. They also learned the history of the Maslenitsa week, which precedes the Lent.
"For international students, this is a great opportunity to immerse themselves in Russian culture, better understand our traditions and customs, learn new things about this holiday, and, of course, try making blini and pancakes themselves. International students are quite easy to work with: some of them already have experience preparing dishes similar in recipe and ingredients, so they learn very quickly, listen attentively, grasp everything on the fly, and preparing a dish like pancakes presents no difficulties," explained Nataliia Androsova, Associate Professor at the Department of Catering Technology and Organization.
The masterclass participants were very engaged in the cooking process, taking videos and photos to remember it, and rejoicing at the successful result. The cooking session was followed by a tea party, where the students sampled the pancakes they made themselves.
"There is a similar dish in my culture, so it was not difficult to prepare. True, the first pancake did not turn out well, but from there on, things went smoothly," said Alnaqib Issa, masterclass participant.
The traditional master class is becoming not only an entertaining event but also an important element of the educational process, allowing SUSU students from different countries to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere and better understand Russian culture.
You can check out the photos from the master class in our album.