Lagman soup wins the international Cook It Off 2025 competition at Bialystok University of Technology

In the winter semester 2025/2026, Bialystok University of Technology hosts nearly 400 international students. The international community consists mainly of participants of the Erasmus+ Programme from EU countries (KA131) and more than 30 Erasmus students from outside the EU (KA171). Additionally, 80 students from China have come to us to gain knowledge and unforgettable experience – attendees of the International School of Engineering ISE, run by Bialystok University of Technology in cooperation with Tianjin Chengjian University.

International students of Bialystok University of Technology took on the role of chefs and competed for the best national dish. On 20 November 2025 they met in the Gamma Student Residence Hall and took part in a recurring event organised by ESN Bialystok University of Technology and the University Residential Campus of Bialystok University of Technology.

As emphasised by Hubert Nowicki, Vice-President of ESN PB, the competition is one of the forms of student integration.

– Probably nothing brings people closer than cooking together and tasting dishes that represent another country’s cuisine – emphasises Hubert Nowicki. – There is a lot of laughter, fun and stories about how these delicacies are prepared in family homes. I think Cook It Off is one of those events that our foreign guests will remember for a long time, after returning to their home universities.

In this year’s edition of Cook It Off, 10 teams took part in the culinary competition. The teams included students from Poland, China, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Zimbabwe. Each team had one hour to prepare an original dish. Students cooked in the kitchens on all floors of the Gamma Student Residence Hall. The finished dishes were assessed by the jury, taking into account not only taste and presentation, but also the atmosphere and teamwork during the preparation (after all, this is an integration event!).

The title of the taste champion was awarded to the team REVATTI from Kazakhstan. Their signature dish, lagman, is a traditional dish of Central Asian cuisine, also popular in Kazakhstan. The ingredients of this hearty soup include noodles, pieces of meat (usually lamb or beef) and stewed vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes and onions. Lagman proved that the simplicity and richness of traditional cuisine can impress international palates.

Second place went to the ESN TEAM. Their signature dish: potato and pumpkin pancakes, served with pumpkin, horseradish and mushroom sauces. Delicious!

Third place was taken by students from Italy. Italy’s Team prepared parmigiana – a traditional dish from the regions of Sicily, made from fried aubergine layered with Parmesan and tomato sauce. Their baked dish was hard to resist.

The “Cook It Off” competition is organised by ESN Bialystok University of Technology and the University Residential Campus of Bialystok University of Technology. The event is supported by the International Relations Offices of Bialystok University of Technology with funds from the Erasmus+ Programme.

Author: Monika Rokicka

See the photo gallery from Cook It Off 2025 at Bialystok University of Technology, November 20, 2025.