Host an International Pot Luck at Work or Home

Do you need an inventive idea for a party at work or while entertaining at home? Are you tired of the same old casserole, chips and dip and homemade cookies most pot lucks fare? Invite guests to create international dishes with prizes available for most creative, tasty and authentic cuisine.

Getting Started:

In order for the party to be successful, there should be a minimum of ten participants in the international cook off. One person, who is willing to do some research, should be selected as the judge. (The judge does not prepare a dish)

Place strips of paper labeled with different country’s names in a bowl. This activity should be a fun learning and intriguing experiment. For maximum effect, choose countries from all areas of the world. Stray from the usual international flair such as Mexican, Italian or French. Part of the experience is learning the customs of the country and its food of origin. Try to include countries from all of the main inhabited continents.

Example:

Morocco

Egypt

Korea

Vietnam

Cuba

Columbia

Equator

Israel

Lebanon

Syria

Turkey

Russia

Belgium

Next, prepare strips of paper that include the dish to be prepared. Most potlucks fail due to the overwhelming number of desserts and snacks. Have at least two main dishes, five salads/appetizers/or side dishes (the three categories equal one option), and three desserts. Increase the number in each class based on the number of contestants. Beverages should be provided by the host or based on "bring your own" basis.

Ask each guest to pick a country and dish at least one week prior to the event. This will allow time for brainstorming, researching, shopping and preparation.

The host should provide certificates of participation for each dish, a grand prize for most popular dish, and one that most reflects the food of origin represented.

Decorate with small international flags and banners. Make colorful place cards for each contribution with space to write the name of the dish and the country of origin. The host may wish to include a space for the name of the chef, or reveal the cook at the awards ceremony.

The pre-determined judge should be allowed to taste and write notes from each dish before party-goers dig in. In a separate area, the judge should have access to a computer to check for accuracy.

Participation Certificates Examples:

Most Creative

Most Ingredients

Most Unique

Most Likely to Re-Create at Home

The options are limitless. Use a little imagination while formulating the certificates. This is the host’s chance to thank everyone for their willingness to go out of their comfort zone while presenting their culinary masterpieces.

The judge should address each party-goer during dining and mingling time. Secretly, each guest should provide the judge with one dish that stood out among the rest.

The judge will also use the knowledge they have gained during the research period to declare which cultural cuisine that genuinely reflects the traditional feast of the country chosen.

A small award, plaque, recipe book or cooking utensil should be given out, along with a certificate for the big winners. It would be polite gesture to provide the judge with a thank you token.

This international pot luck experiment has been tried in an office setting and was voted the "Most Fun Extracurricular Activity of the Year" for that department. After the grimacing and complaining about not knowing where the country is, let alone what they eat; most enjoyed the experiment and love the food.