Taste the World Makes a Highly Anticipated Return
After the incredible success that was the inaugural Taste the World food festival, hosted by USAO’s International Students Club, the event is back and bigger than before with more countries, more space, and most importantly – more food.
On Sunday, November 1st, at the Grady County Fairgrounds, the club will once again host the award-winning festival to bring the community together to explore the world through the foods of 40 different countries. Beginning at 5:00 P.M, participants can come and experience dishes from Serbia, France, Jamaica, and more.
“We’ve learned a lot from last year,” said Crispin Mbii, President of the International Student’s Club. “The event last year was in the USAO Ballroom, now it’s gonna be at the fairgrounds here in Chickasha. And we’ve grown from 23 to 40 countries.”
Last year’s debut drew an overwhelming crowd of roughly 450 attendees, quickly exhausting supplies and leaving organizers and visitors alike eager for a larger venue. The expanded lineup will feature traditional dishes prepared by students representing their home countries, ranging from Icelandic sweet rice pudding to Jamaican jerk chicken, Spanish croquetas and Ecuadorian empanadas. In addition to savory and sweet culinary offerings, students are organizing beverage stations, recipe cards, and ingredient lists to help community members recreate their favorite dishes at home.
The event is scheduled to receive another mayoral proclamation on October 19th, marking the second year in a row that the festival should receive a city-wide dedication to the event.
"It’s not about the awards or achievements," said Mbii. "We are so happy that this is something we get to do. When you go out to the community and say, 'Hey, we're international students,' and everybody becomes interested and wants to get involved and support, that's what we love to see and hear."
The event also marks the official rollout of the club's new "Home Away from Home" program. The program is designed to connect international students who don’t have the opportunity to spend the holidays at home with their families, with local families in the Chickasha community.
Madilynn Duszynski, another club representative, spoke to the challenges international
students face when so far away from home. “It’s hard, to miss home and wish they had
somebody just to go spend time with like a family.” She quoted. “They just want a
home cooked meal, really. And to have somebody that they could hang out with and have
a close connection.”
"I think, overall, it’s a good opportunity for everyone to come out, see that USAO
is more than just our campus, and that there are great people everywhere," said club
PR coordinator Pablo Baguena. “And you get to eat food from everywhere, which is a
plus."
Tickets are on sale now and will be available at the door. $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for USAO students. For questions or more information about the event, you can visit the club’s Instagram, @usao_isc.
About the International Students Club:
The International Students Club (ISC) is dedicated to promoting understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures among USAO students and the surrounding community. Through faith, cultural events, and social gatherings, the ISC fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment to every student in need of a place to feel at home, and every community member in need of a friend.
Contact: Hannah Thompson | 405-574-1362