Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, for the Other Paper
SOUTH BURLINGTON — Fragrant smells, masses of people and bass-heavy music accompanied by lively chatter filled Market Street on April 16 for the city’s first-ever International Food Festival.
Sixteen international Vermont-based vendors, serving cuisines ranging from Ukraine to Togo, came together at South Burlington’s City Hall for the sold-out event, which was organized by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“We want to come up with events that make people want to get out in their community and be involved,” said Kate Likhite, a recreation specialist who plans events for the city. “It’s everything and more than we had hoped for.”
The way the event worked was simple. For a $35 fee, or $40 for non-residents, attendees got five “tasting tickets” for any five dishes of their choice.
The vendors represented restaurants, caterers, specialty stores and food trucks from all across Vermont. Through the rec department, they were either invited or able to apply to share food from their culture with guests. Local cultural organizations and entertainment were also present at the event.
City Hall’s Welcome Center was packed with people young and old who gathered around the different stands. Right at the entrance was Reema Singh, owner of Naan Sense Grocery, a Williston-based Indian grocery store. Singh was serving samosa and paneer pakora — a deep-fried cheese snack — as well as syrup-soaked dumplings known as gulab jamun for dessert. Preparing the food was time-consuming as she started the day before, but it paid off: By the end of the food festival, she sold out.
“People should experience other flavors and other dishes, because that brings a lot of perspective when it comes to food,” Singh said. “And the joy I see on people’s faces when they try our food and they enjoy it is what keeps us going.”
Outside on the patio, things were calmer. But even here, the vendors could hardly catch a break. Hakeem Fuad was busy frying up samosas — chicken and cheese, steak and cheese, spicy chicken and apple pie being the variations. Fuad is the co-owner of SamosaMan, a family-owned business that started in Boston 25 years ago.
“Culture is everything. I think one thing that Vermont is good at is it’s really open and receptive to different cultures,” he said.
Meantime, the Kevin L. Dorn Senior Center at the back of City Hall was buzzing with activity. Tables draped in white cloth were arranged in the middle of the room, while vendors lined the walls. Attendees gathered to sample the dishes they’d collected throughout the evening.
The most traffic was undoubtedly around Aba’s Kitchen and Catering, which served up classic Liberian dishes like jollof rice, fried plantains, sweet potato leaves and Liberian-style lollipop chicken, as well as the business’ staple ginger beer. Sandra Gyesi, the business owner, found herself sold out of everything within the first hour of the 2.5-hour event.
“It’s great to share day-to-day Liberian foods with people here,” said Jessie Anderson, Gyesi’s niece. She and her wife, Victoria Luciano, came to help her aunt with tabling.
“I love to cook. I love to see people happy,” Gyesi added. “Vermonters love to try new things. Like the sweet potato leaves, we eat them with ingredients like meat or fish. But most people had never tried that.”
The event was a success for vendors and visitors alike. Kat Jackson and Steve Gretzinger came down from St. Albans for the festival. Halfway through the event, they had already tried dishes from Togo, Mexico, Cuba, India and Ethiopia.
The event “encourages people to recognize that the United States is a background of everything, a melting pot,” Jackson, who is originally from Montreal, said.
“This is one of the great things about Vermont,” Gretzinger added. “People think ‘maple syrup and trees,’ but you come here and get something like this, and I think that’s fantastic.”