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Flags, food and cultural dress filled Ōrewa College’s H Block courtyard last month as 17 stalls showcased global flavours at the school’s 33rd International Food Festival.
Since its establishment in 1992, the event has brought together international students and locals to share flavours and cultural knowledge from around the world, and many of the college’s international students took to the ovens, benches, stovetops and fridges to share their cultural dishes this year.
Each stall offered a selection of sweet treats, savoury dishes, and beverages that reflected its culture. Savoury options ranged from Korean tteokbokki to Hungarian gulyás, alongside sweets such as Argentinian alfajores and Swiss spitzbuebe. Drinks included Chinese lemon green tea and Indian mango lassi.
Each year, the event raises funds for a different charity, with this year’s proceeds going to Ōrewa Community House.
The event is divided into time slots, allowing each year group the opportunity to learn and sample the different stalls. However, popular items such as the Korean honeycomb candy dalgona, made famous by the Netflix series Squid Game, drew long lines of eager students and teachers, and by mid-morning, it had already sold out.
Kelly Derbyshire-Smith, one of the local students assisting with the Argentinian stall, says that it was a great way to learn through eating as much as you can.
“It was a cool time to meet new people from different places.”
