Student associations representing 11 countries from around the globe offered more than 27 different dishes to students at Sunday’s International Food Fair in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

Volunteers involved in international student associations helped cook and serve the food. Doug Doan, freshman in computer engineering, volunteered for the Vietnamese Student Association.

“The most popular dish was the fruit cocktail,” he said.

Over at the Pakistan Student Association booth, the somosas – meat or meat substitute and vegetables fried in pita bread – was the most popular dish, said Syed Ahmed, a post doctoral student in agricultural and biosystems engineering.

“People liked the beef rather than the veggie,” he said.

Ahmed was involved with the food fair this year because he used to be president of the Pakistan Student Association, and he now advises the group.

“We use typical recipes, and local Pakistan families help guide us on the cooking,” he said. “They are a good source of recipes.”

The Pakistan Student Association members made three pans of every dish earlier this afternoon, including three sweet dishes and two main dishes in their spread, Ahmed said.

“People coming by said it was the cheapest [booth],” he said. “Everything we have is really cheap – nothing is more than 50 cents.”

By far the most popular booth this year was sponsored by the Japanese Student Association, which sold out of everything half an hour before the fair ended. A large group surrounded the booth the entire time to gobble up the Japanese delicacies, such as Maki-sushi, California rolls and green tea crape.

Many people came to the food fair to taste a variety of different dishes from various countries.

Phillip Ross, senior in construction engineering, said his favorite food was the somosas from the Pakistan booth.

“It was better than cooking my own dinner,” he said. “You get to try a bunch of different styles of food for dirt cheap.”

Fares Karadsheh, sophomore in computer engineering, tried three different dishes. His favorite was the noodle platter from the Hong Kong booth. He also liked the kheer, or rice pudding, from the Pakistan booth.

“I came to eat different food that wasn’t American and support the international student groups,” he said.

Yukari Ikuno, sophomore in pre-business and director of the food fair, said the fair usually costs about $2,500, with roughly $200 going to each student association for supplies and $150 to decorate the Great Hall. Much of the funding for the fair came from local businesses.

“A lot of people from the community helped out,” she said.

Profits from the fair will go to a fund to help victims involved in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the International Student Financial Aid Fund, which helps students from foreign countries come to Iowa State, Ikuno said.

The fair takes place twice a year – during International Week and Veishea, she said.

“The fair during Veishea is usually bigger, hosting about 14 different booths,” she said.