A variety of authentic Hispanic foods will be served up for free today for members of the Ames community.

The fifth annual “Ports of Call: Hispanic Food Celebration” is hosted by the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee. Roy Salcedo, graduate student in educational leadership and policy studies, has been part of the event planning team. “We are excited about the opportunity to come together and eat and also to see that Latino food is not just Taco Bell,” he said. “There are so many other types of food out there.”

Salcedo said some of these foods will include beans, rice and salsa, enchiladas de mole/salsa fresca, taquitos de frijoles or bean taquitos, bean tostadas with guacamole, Puerto Rican rice and Mexican Flag Salad, which is a combination of green beans, red peppers and jicama.

The committee is not allowed to serve any meat or dairy products because of food regulations, and Salcedo said the group will be serving soy varieties of dairy and meat products.

Salcedo said he is excited about the event and hopes to see a variety of people show up for it.

“I’d like to see anyone come that’s interested in trying new food or simply wants to support the activity,” he said.

Susana Rundquist, another member of the committee, said she also is excited about the event.

“It’s pretty neat to bring people together and have them share their dishes from where they are from,” said Rundquist, minority liaison officer for the College of Education. “Nothing beats homestyle cooking. It tastes 100 percent better than the food you could get at local restaurants.”