Learning about the world through the stomach: Monday's International Students' Day Food Festival was a huge success.
With a walk around the Campus Center Carroll Room, hundreds of Smith College students, faculty, and visitors took a gastronomical trip around the world this Monday afternoon.
Sponsored by the International Students Organization (ISO) and the Office for International Students and Scholars, the International Students Day Food Festival (I.S. Day) was a definite success as the opportunity to taste such mouth-watering global cuisine prepared by members of Smith’s international community simply could not be passed up. The event drew such a crowd that attendees spread out to dine on their gourmet dishes throughout the entirety of the building.
Alice Wolff ’15, stated, “Everything here is really good. I liked trying food that I would never get the chance to try otherwise.” She tasted cuisine from Bangladesh, Trinidad, and Nepal while her dining companion opted to try the traditional foods of Burma and Japan.
Tasting new food was not the only advantage of the festival. Students native to or with strong ties to their represented country were all too happy to chat with visitors about the food they prepared and its cultural context, providing some small—but noteworthy—insight to the world’s diversity.
Some of the many well-received dishes included the Kenyan entrée of nyama choma, (a roasted meat dish), side dishes from India, and pavlova, a fruit-topped dessert popular in New Zealand.
The spread of choices to be sampled at I.S. Day was as varied as the dozens of represented nations themselves. Photos of the event can be viewed by visiting the International Advancement Facebook page or the ISO photo gallery.
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