I developed a series of CLA-rich shortenings at the University of Arkansas during the spring 2014 semester and shipped them to Ghent where I would work with them during the summer. In Belgium, I conducted a series of tests on these shortening samples to compare their physical properties to those of shortenings that you could buy in the store (a.k.a. Crisco). While I was at UGent, I also had the opportunity to make chocolate bars and chocolate pastes where I replaced a less healthy fat (cocoa butter and palm oil) with the CLA-rich oil. I compared the physical properties of these chocolates to those of chocolates made with cocoa butter/palm oil. However, I promise that my study abroad experience was a lot more fun than this paragraph makes it sound!
I was not traveling with a group or a specific program this summer, so when I arrived in Belgium, I did not know anybody! I flew in to the Brussels airport and had to take a train to Ghent, the city where I would live. The train ride was only 30 minutes long, but it was very challenging for me to figure this out because, being from the South, I was not used to public transportation. I then had to take a taxi from the train station to the house where I would be living. Once I arrived at the house, everything got better. I lived with a host family, who made me feel very welcome and eased some of my initial misgivings about being alone in a new country.
I began working at the university a few days after I arrived. I had been communicating with the professor I would be working with for a while before that, so my whole project was already laid out and I was able to start working immediately. A majority of the summer consisted of me running experiments in the lab to compare my samples to each other, but there were a few deviations from this pattern. For instance, I had to make the chocolate products that I would be analyzing. UGent has an entire laboratory dedicated to the production of chocolate, appropriately named the Cacao Lab, and I got to work in this lab and learn the process of making chocolate from beginning to end. As I’m sure you’re aware, Belgium is known for its chocolates, so for me to be able to learn chocolate-making in Belgium was amazing!
Near the end of July, the university was closed for about one week for Gentse Feesten, a festival that encompassed the entire city of Gent. There were many booths set up where you could buy food and drinks and many local and international bands were playing concerts. This happens every year and it was a great way to experience the unique culture of the city I lived in.
I left Belgium to come back to the U.S. in mid-August. During my three months there, I was able to complete all of my research, make friends from all over the world and experience life in a beautiful city with a unique culture!
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Learn more about studying abroad as a Bumpers college
student at: http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/programs/international-programs/index.php
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