University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College

My sixth birthday dinner was illuminated by a magical dish—baked orange-spotted grouper. Beneath that nose- tickling scent of cooked garlic and the refreshing herb sauce was a tantalizing sweetness. Crisp shredded ginger and spring onion contrasted with the slightly seared, golden fish skin. I could not wait to grab my first slice, even dismissing the Chinese tradition that I should serve my parents first. The dish soon vanished before our eyes, yet the flavor lingered in my mind and has become one of my most cherished childhood memories. The memory of that flavor continued to tantalize me as…