By CORYANA DOUGLAS AND SABA DESTA
Contributors
The International Student Organization recently hosted its annual International Food Show, showcasing foods from all around the world.
The International Food Show took place Nov. 11 on the lower level of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center and featured different foods from many different countries, including Saudi Arabia, Germany, India, Japan and Canada.
The International Student Organization has hosted this event on campus for many years. Suzanne Beck, sponsored and exchange coordinator for the Center of Global Education, was the head organizer of the International Food Show.
“The International Student Organization celebrated 35 years of the event not too long ago, so it has been close to 40 years,” Beck said.
Beck said with so many countries showcasing their cultural foods, students had to submit their recipes in order to cook and present it at the showcase.
The preparation of putting the show together started in September, giving them about 2 1/2 months of getting the major details figured out. For the students putting the food together, it was a matter of when they began their cooking.
“It’s a matter of minutes. It does take a lot of time, lots of effort, takes a lot of work,” Beck said.
In the past, Beck said students had the choice of cooking their dishes at home, but this year they tried something new and cooked in the Sodexo kitchen.
The International Food Show was open to all faculty and students on campus with around 60 to 80 guests attending.
Kadeem McIntosh, senior kinesiology major, was one of the guests who attended the food showcase. He said his experience tasting the foods brought back memories.
“Some flavors reminded me of my Jamaican roots,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh found out about the event from fellow students at the university.
Sarah Dafterdar, senior studying community health and psychology, is the international ambassador in the Center of Global Education. As an international student at the university, she said the event had special meaning for her. She also got a taste of other cultures that were there as well.
“The food show meant a lot to me because it gave me and my fellow Saudi students a chance to share our culture through food,” Dafterdar said.