Bizarre International Bazaar

By now, you’ve probably discovered I like food. A lot. So when I found out there was going to be an International Bazaar held on campus last week I was all over it. Other cultures have always intrigued me, and watching travel channel stars like Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern have whet my appetite for the experience of trying international food. I just had to see what this International Bazaar had to offer.

The little festival was held out on Lowry Mall just across from where I had spent my morning, so I simply crossed the road and entered a world completely unknown to me. Well, maybe not completely unknown. My friend and I’s first stop was the fried-oreo booth raising money for the band. I know, not free but definitely worth it! After the fried stuff though, things got a little fishy.

Fried Oreos: a perfect representation of American food!

Our first stop was sushi in Japan. I had never eaten this stuff, but coming to college it was seriously a goal of mine to try sushi. I thought it was pretty tasty, though I could understand why some people wouldn’t like the crunchiness of the seaweed and unusual tasty ingredient in the center (I'm still not certain what one ingredient was, but it tasted like a candied piece of fruit to me). Sushi’s just one of those things you have to consciously realize is different.

Me trying my first sushi- I must admit, I was kind of nervous...

In India we ate curry and rice, as well as sweet rice, which to me seemed just like rice that had been soaking in milk with sugar added. Thailand featured a soup recipe, and Korea had a pork dish. I was amazed at how different each country’s food tasted. Seasonings played a huge role in ethnic cooking and seemed to distinguish which country the food was from.

Something else that really stuck out to me was the ingredients that were typical in these international foods. Rice was in something from nearly every country, and most dishes were rich in spices, though they were different spices. Just by observing the basic raw ingredients used in these foods, I felt like I was given an insight to the different agricultural focus of the different countries. And as agriculture is the basis for many societies, I also got an insight into the different cultures and backgrounds of these people.

My trip to the International Bazaar was both interesting and tasty, but also enlightening. I am continually reminded that agriculture may look different to different people, but nonetheless, it plays a critical role all around the world.