From french fries to falafels

The spicy aromas of curry and ginger filled Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall on Thursday night, welcoming in nearly 800 students, faculty and community members to the first IU World’s Fare.\nAttendees were ushered into the hall, wielding tickets and cups provided to them by the sponsors. The Union Board Diversity Performance Committee, in collaboration with the Office of International Services and Office of the Vice President for International Affairs, also passed out cookbooks featuring the available cuisine at the fair, in addition to other dishes that were not prepared. \nIMU Dining Services prepared the recipes under the direction of General Manager Steve Mangan.\nThe event featured nearly two dozen cultures, offering their authentic cuisine to attendees.\nThe IU African Student Association provided a unique display of culture, constructing a hut with a brown, papered roof and flags from African nations. \n“The symbolism of the hut is to promote a united Africa,” IUASA President Emaelaf Alemu said. “The future of Africa will have no war, but people will be able to keep their culture. We’re here to focus on the positive, not the negativity.” \nIUASA members served “jollof rice” from West Africa, which contained beef, chicken, vegetables and a variety of spices. \nThe Kazakh Student Association allowed students to sample “manti,” an authentic dish made from ground beef, lamb stock, onions and spice. The cultural display included a scale model of a traditional nomadic hut, intricate costumes and chocolates.\nOther dishes from World’s Fare included Cuban-style flan and “arroz con pollo” (rice with chicken) from the \nInternational Latin American Student Association, “pho” (beef noodle soup) from the Vietnamese Student Association, “zerbeyan rice” by the Saudi Students Club, potato pakora (fried potato dumplings) from the Pakistani Students Association and curry puffs from the Singapore Student Group. \nDuring the food tasting, a performance by the African Ensemble began, providing background music to the cultural atmosphere. \nSophomore Renee Szostak came to World’s Fare after noticing the incredibly long line stretching from Alumni Hall to the formal lounge in the IMU. \n“This is so cool,” she said while tasting rice pudding from the Indian Student Association’s booth. “This event is a great was to open students’ eyes to cultures of the world, that they might never have the opportunity to experience.”