The 2011 International Food Fair brought many nations together to share their national dishes in an event ultimately won by the ‘foodies’ from Portugal.
Last week the Delft International Students Society (Diss) hosted their first annual ‘International Food Fair’ at the Marcushof, where all five floors of the building were buzzing with activity throughout the day as student teams representing eight different countries cooked up and served their best national dishes.
“The turnout was absolutely amazing and the teams cooking did an excellent job showcasing their respective cultures,” said Jonathan Mugerwa, Diss’s chairman. “Everyone that took part was so positive, because it was a truly international event.”
For an entrance fee of only 4 euros, visitors could taste various dishes from the eight competing countries. Teams from the Netherlands, Mexico, Cyprus, Africa, Portugal, Italy, China and India all did their best to showcase their countries best national cuisine.
What made the event all the more interesting was its competitive aspect. Along with their entry tickets, visitors were also given slips of paper to vote for the best dish. “It was rather unfortunate however that we had to turn away lots of people who came that day just for the food fair, as we simply ran out of tickets due to the limitations of what the teams could cook,” said Bassem Zaarour, Diss’s events manager. “But for the 130 or so people who participated, everyone had a lot of fun and of course a lot to eat.”
This event was Diss’s latest effort to achieve one of organisation’s primary goals; namely, to help bridge the gap between international students and the Dutch. “One of the participants even remarked how great it was having Dutch students at the food fair,” Bassem continues. “Besides the VSSD representing the Netherlands with a cooking team, we also had a few Dutch students mingling among the internationals and going around trying out the various teams’ dishes.”
Most agreed that the best part about the event was not who cooked the best dish but rather the spirit with which everyone participated, showing a willingness to try and appreciate dishes from other countries. “Food is a vehicle for culture and brings people together, breaking down walls of ignorance and prejudice,” said Sara Riobom, a member of the Portuguese team that won the event. “The fact that we won doesn’t really matter – the sharing was the greatest prize of all. It was only a pity that the food finished so quickly, but I guess that shows everyone liked it a lot.”
Puja Nanda, from team India, especially enjoyed the interaction with the other competing teams: “Food fair was a different experience altogether, as this time the representation of dishes took a transition from an ‘intra-nation’ to an ‘inter-nation’ affair. We cooked with the winning team from Portugal in the same kitchen and had lots of amusing exchanges of phrases. Winning didn’t really matter – or at least we believe in what the Bhagwad Gita has taught us: ‘Do your part without thinking about the returns.’”
Without question this first annual event was a huge success and will surely be repeated next year, but with some changes made to accommodate more visitors and competing teams. For information on the when and where of the next International Food Fair, stay tuned to the Delft International Student Society’s Facebook page.
Editie 2010 van Westerpop was ‘super geslaagd’, vindt organisator René Steijger. Ondanks de enorme wolkbreuken die Delft zaterdagavond teisterden. Hij roemt de veerkracht van de bezoekers, die de weersomstandigheden trotseerden en op het festival bleven. “Dat betekent dat er een goede vibe was, anders gebeurt dit niet.” Over het hele weekend bezochten volgens hem dertienduizend mensen het gratis popfestival. Westerpop had vijf publiekstrekkers: Moss, Laura Jansen, Moke, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour en Triggerfinger.
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