Students get fill of dumplings at Chinese Student Association event

College sophomore Ben Moskowitz dunked his last of 30 pork dumplings into a bowl of soy sauce. He balanced the dumpling on the end of his chopsticks and ate it, despite his “full, bursting stomach.” Then, he got up to get more.

“Coming to this event was just too good to pass up,” Moskowitz said, as he sat back down with another plate-full — probably his fourth serving. “I don’t know how they can make so many dumplings, but I’ll keep eating them.”

Moskowitz was one of over 200 students who attended the Chinese Student Association’s annual Dumpling Fest this past Friday in Rodin’s Rooftop Lounge. The line of attending students stretched out of the lounge door and into the College House’s hallways, where, as the night progressed, more and more students waited to eat the fried chicken, pork and vegetable dumplings that CSA members were making.

For the first time this year, the group held a dumpling-making and dumpling-eating contest which students could participate in to win various prizes. Attendees could also help make dumplings at the event with CSA members.

Although non-CSA members had to pay a cover charge of $6, that didn’t seem to deter students from attending the all-you-can-eat affair. CSA members said they were incredibly pleased with the turnout.

“Dumplings are really a cultural symbol around the world that connects different regions within China and Chinese Americans to their Chinese roots,” said CSA Social chairwoman and Wharton junior Jenny Jiang. “Our Dumpling Fest also helps our group connect with the Penn community and teaches everyone more about Chinese culture.”

CSA began planning the event a few months ago, according to CSA Fundraising chairman, Dumpling Fest’s co-chairman and Wharton junior Wayne Ngai.

Ngai added that the group made a profit from the event and plans to direct the money toward funding for future CSA events, such as their Cultural Show next week. According to Jiang, this year’s event was more successful than in past years.

CSA member and College freshman Donna Chen said she had never eaten such delicious dumplings or seen so many people at a CSA event.

Jiang said the group plans to make the event even bigger next year, expanding the food choices and offering other activities.

“People just love dumplings,” Ngai said. “And it helped that the event was all-you-can-eat of course.”

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