For juniors Judah Carter and Hamwattie Heeraman, the quality and taste of college dining hall food is nearly intolerable. Their frustration with campus food options and a shared passion for home cooking lead to a lifelong friendship — and a lucrative hustle.

“‘There’s no way that we’re gonna be able to survive eating this food for the next three years,’” Heeraman said, recalling the conversation she had with Carter after a meal in their freshman dorm.

Having moved to South Campus for their sophomore year at Syracuse University, Carter and Heeraman started utilizing their newfound kitchens to cook for themselves and their friends. After tasting their cuisine, friends urged them to begin selling platters — thus bringing their food business, For The Culture, to life.

For The Culture offers authentic, home-cooked Caribbean cuisine for students in Syracuse. Some of their menu items and most popular dishes include curry chicken, jerk alfredo, honey buffalo and honey barbecue wings. Students can place orders by direct messaging the business’ Instagram page.

Popular dishes include curry chicken, jerk alfredo, honey buffalo and honey barbecue wings and students can order from the business’ Instagram account. Hieu Nguyen | Senior Staff Photographer

Carter and Heeraman met in SU’s SummerStart — a summer program designed to help first year students acclimate to college life. After eating dining hall food for nearly six weeks before the school year began, the two friends knew right away they wouldn’t be satisfied with the food for their four years, here.

“It was trash,” Carter said. “I’m so used to those home-cooked meals . . . I got up here and I couldn’t even find any of that to buy of my own. So I said, ‘You know what? Let’s just try this out.’”

Hailing from Brooklyn, Carter started cooking when he was 10 years old. His mother, a former caterer, rarely allowed him in the kitchen, so he resorted to watching her from a distance to learn the craft.

Heeraman, who was raised in the Bronx, also learned from watching her parents. She didn’t cook much at home, but practiced more after coming to college.

At the start of each week, Carter and Heeraman plan their menu for the days to come. With Instagram as their main method of outreach, they use the app to post menus and conduct polls for feedback on what customers have a taste for.

Once a plan is set, the duo drafts a list of groceries before going to the store. Typically, it takes them two to three hours to cook before customers pick up orders.

Since its start last year, the business has grown to the point where Carter and Heeraman can no longer personally deliver meals. Their clientele has branched out to students at Onondaga Community College, Le Moyne College and even people in Utica.

“At first, our main target was the minorities who know about the noise that we’re making. But, if we’re doing everything ‘for the culture,’ then we want to include everybody,” Carter said.  

Despite being the only two that handle business operations, the juniors said they’re thankful for their friends’ support. Carter said their friends often order food and help spread the word about the business.

Carter’s longtime friend and roommate, Omaree Emmanuel, can attest to that. For him, For the Culture offers food that makes people feel at home.

“I enjoy it … They give you a variety of Caribbean food that you don’t (normally) get,” he said. Emmanuel added that he’s proud of Carter and will always support everything he does.

Carter and Heeraman said For the Culture is a significant endeavor, putting them in touch with their Caribbean roots, Barbadian and Guyanese, respectively. Their food business allows them to blend their two cultures, while also sharing it with the Syracuse community.

“This is homemade food, made with love,” Carter said, with Heeraman in agreement. “Every time that you walk into the house, you’re hearing music, we’re dancing while we cook … it’s just (good) vibes.”

Published on January 29, 2019 at 11:40 pm