Herds of students followed the enticing aromas to the GW mailroom last Saturday to enjoy the International Food Festival. The event provided an opportunity for students to step out of their dietary comfort zones and start tasting food with names they could not even pronounce. A commonly heard question was “What are you eating?” to which the response was usually “I’m not sure, but it’s really good.” Students sold food to raise money for the International Club. Most of the food was homemade, as the students had asked permission to cook in their house counselors’ apartments. International students cooked meal samples from their native land with the help of their friends, then set up tables in GW, advertising their selections. So grab a plate and let’s get started with a tour of what was for sale at the International Food Festival. It’s not every day you find quality food at prices like 50 cents a scoop. Students representing Columbia offered generous servings of delicious almond rice mixed with pieces of beef and shreds of chicken, with squares of flan for desert. A crowd favorite was Guatemala’s tostadas, topped with your choice of chicken or beef. Peru served delectable alfajores, consisting of a layer of dulce de leche sandwiched between two buttery biscuits. On the isles of the Caribbean, Cuba offered a rice and meat dish by the name of rollo con pollo that Deena Butt ’12 called “delicious.” Jamaica served Johnnycakes – round, flat servings of fried dough which were certainly some of the best fried bake you have ever tasted. Native American Navajo dishes were a new presence this year, sold by Tristan Moone ’10. His table displayed earth cake, elk jerky, fried bake and an interesting mix with a soft, sweet flavor called blue corn mush, which was surprisingly tasty. Canada was also a new addition, serving a traditional dish of poutine- fries with gravy and cheese. Other highlights of the evening included Lebanon’s excellent presentation of hummus tabouli and meat-packed kibbiwith pine nuts that kept people running back for more. Germany, the lone European representative, served strudel and schnitzel. Moving to the East, students rushed to get their hands on the Chinese dumplings and Japanese green tea smoothies. Thailand had iced tea, while China served hot bubble tea with a sticky layer of tapioca spheres. Thailand offered Pad Thai that was snatched up before most had even seen it. “This is the best thing here,” insisted May Odei ’12. Thailand offered an impressive array of deserts, from fruit salad with squares of coconut jelly to sticky rice served with ice cream and coconut milk. To top of the heavenly taste, the student representatives served homemade coconut ice cream topped with roasted coconut flakes. India offered a sweet mango ice cream that proved very popular. “There was more Asian and South American [participation] this year,” said event organizer Marta Misuilaityte ’10, though she commented on the noticeable lack of strong European and African representation. Also different this year was the new dance music, which seemed less appropriate than the mix of ethnic music that pulsed throughout the room last year. “[The International Food Festival] is a good way to get food outside of Commons,” said Tatiana Monteiro de Barros ’12. Tia Baheri added, “We definitely need to have this more than once a year.” Jane Thomas ’10 summed up the night with a smile, saying ”There’s a lot of good food in this world.”
