Offering “The taste of the world,” Global Food Fest provided authentic ethnic food at a bargain price for hundreds of people Sunday night.

As part of International Week ’97, Global Food Fest was held in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union from 5 to 7:30 p.m. International Week is being celebrated Nov. 7 through Nov. 14.

Dongwang Liu, general programmer of International Week, said he expected 800 to 1,000 people to attend Global Food Fest.

Liu called Global Food Fest one of the most important events of International Week.

“This event attracts the largest group of people, so they can have a taste of the world,” Liu said. He said the chairs of International Week have been working for several months to coordinate Global Food Fest.

In its 11th year, Global Food Fest showcased foods from 15 Iowa State student organizations. The general public pays an entrance fee of $2 and buys a certain number of tickets to exchange for servings of international foods.

Liu said all the workers at Global Food Fest were volunteers from different organizations. The foods were homemade, and some had been baked by members of the organizations and their families, he said.

Global Food Fest, which receives funds from the Government of the Student Body to provide resources for each of the 15 stands, donates its profits to funding International Student Financial Aid.

Many of the organizers cited the popularity of Global Food Fest to the excellent dishes from all around the world.

“The food is very good, and it’s very different from restaurants,” Liu said. “The price is very reasonable. It’s cheaper than a restaurant.”

Global Food Fest co-chair June Shoa agreed with Liu.

“People enjoy the food, and they may never get a chance to get it anywhere else,” Shoa said.

Besides the delicious food, Global Food Fest chairs acknowledged the event is a unique experience for most attendants.

“The most important thing is for people to appreciate other cultures more,” said Ramesh Vijayaraghavan, Global Food Fest co-chairman.

“We’re here to let people know about the diverse cultures of the world,” he said.

Liu said “letting people have a taste of the world” serves a greater purpose than just letting people have unique international foods.

“We want to help people get more interested in these international groups, so there can be a greater understanding [among everyone],” Liu said.

Each of the 15 tables offered two to four different dishes, and most of the vendors said they thought the public was enjoying their meals.

“[Global Food Fest] is going pretty well,” said Sumie Yano, a vendor at the Japanese foods table and a senior in psychology.

“We have confidence [that the public] will like the food,” she added.

Most of the tables had one item that was more popular than the other foods offered.

“Our most popular item has been our Peruvian salsa, which is from Peru,” said Matt Miller, a vendor at the International Agriculture table and a sophomore in ag education and ag business. “It’s really spicy, and it’s made out of parsley.”

Miller said International Ag member Vanessa Lutz made all of the food at their table.

Felix Matasthias, a vendor at the Greek food table and a graduate student in physics, said pastitsio was the best-selling item at their table. Pastitsio is similar to lasagna, Matasthias said.

There were also displays of ethnic jewelry, scarves and other items at Global Food Fest. There was a crafts table for smaller children sponsored by YWCA.

“We provide international games and crafts [for the children],” said Hiriti Beyene, cultural coordinator for YWCA and a senior in apparel merchandising, design and production. The table offered mask-making, puppets, necklaces and various other crafts to entertain children.

The 15 tables offering international foods represented Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Pakistan, Africa, Portugal, Vietnam, Turkey, Taiwan, Korea, International Ag Club, India, Greece, the Philippines and China.