A Cornucopia of Fall Flavors: Students Reflect on Food Traditions

With the sweltering summer days behind us, the arrival of fall is a welcome one — a lingering chill, showers of red and gold fluttering down from the trees, the crunch of leaves underfoot — autumn is in the air. Perhaps what truly distinguishes these next few months from any other, however, is the unique flavors that the season brings with it — that is, fall comfort foods.

To celebrate the arrival of the new season, we asked members of the Hopkins community to share with us some of their favorite fall delicacies, as well as some of the memories behind them that make these foods so special.

Pies, a classic fall dessert in most households across the country, hold a special place in Beyla Ridky’s ’24 heart. She says that her favorite fall comfort foods are her mom’s apple and cranberry-apple pies. “My mom makes both pies for our Thanksgiving dinner,” Ridky says, “and apple pie a few times more during the fall.” Eating the pies has become a ritual of sorts within the family. For Ridky, it also evokes fond memories of “mixing the dough with my hands as my mom poured ice water on (to keep it flaky).” She goes on to describe how the shared effort in preparing the dish felt “like friendship.” Her story serves as a reminder that sharing a meal has the power to bring people together.


On the more savory side of fall treats, a fall go-to for Kyle Zhang ’25 is a “pot with lamb slices it.” Traditionally, the dish contains “green leafy vegetables, rice noodles, radishes,” and more. “When the temperature drops, we start having [pot with lamb slices] every few days, maybe more during the weekends when we have more time available,” Zhang says. The fall dish reminds Zhang of many “good-natured arguments about the amount of sauce we can eat with it.”