Four cultures from four different student groups will fight for the title of Iron Chef at 5 p.m. Friday in “The Den” of Northside Cafe.

The Culinary Cougs student group will hold the first Student Iron Chef event.

For the competition, each group will create a soup, salad, appetizer, entree and dessert for judges and attendees to sample. The Korean Student Association, the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA) and Association of Bangladesh Students and Scholars will also participate in the event with the Culinary Cougs.

Braydon Gemar, junior applied mathematics major, will be one of the cooks participating for MESA. Gemar said Iron Chef will give both students and student groups a unique experience.

“I think that naturally food brings people together, so Iron Chef allows us to share each of our cultures by the way we cook our food and how it taste,” he said.

Entry will cost $10 or four canned goods. Nolan Ernst, junior civil engineering major and Culinary Cougs president said all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Community Action Center in Pullman.

A big event surrounding food with different organizations in which they can give back to the community is what Iron Chef is all about, Ernst said. Department heads from Residence Life and Dining Services will judge along with audience members.

Culinary Cougs creates an environment where students can learn cooking skills with friendly people, Ernst said. Anyone is welcome and the club meets at 1 p.m. Sundays in “The Den,” he said. No previous cooking experience is required to participate in the club.

Kate Hellmann, associate director for office of international programs, said she thinks every student should have an international experience. WSU has students from about 100 different countries, so a collaborative event like Iron Chef is pretty incredible. Hellmann said starting a conversation is easy with a plate full of food in front of you.

MESA provides education and awareness about Middle Eastern cultures, food, dance and interactions among people. Gemar said he is excited to not only learn more about the Middle Eastern cuisine but also showcase it to other students.

With Iron Chef being the first of its kind, Gemar said he hopes that through good food students and participants will get to learn and experience the beauty of different cultures they might not have known coming into the event.

“Food makes people happy, and I think with all the good food that will be available to eat it’s a perfect opportunity for not only students to learn about Middle Eastern culture but also Korean and Bangladesh as well,” Gemar said.

Hellmann said having a global understanding and perspective is important for students who graduate. With events such as the Iron Chef competition, food can be the start of a larger discussion about other cultures’ traditions, religions and dress.

“People can gain a plate full of culture,” she said.