International Food Festival at SPPU celebrates global cuisine, says no to drugs

The event brought together students from over 25 countries who showcased traditional cuisines from their home countries under the theme “Say No to Drugs And Yes to Life.”

The hosts began with the Afghanistan stall and moved on to Bangladesh, Mongolia, Eritrea, Chad, Russia, Fiji, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Egypt, South Sudan, Iran Mozambique and Vietnam, many of which drew large crowds. Several students prepared the dishes in university and college hostels and shared recipes with visitors curious about the ingredients and cooking methods while also seeking feedback.

Representing Nepal, Pratham Patel, a second-year BBA IB (Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business) student, and his friends served choila, jhol momo and chatpate — a street snack made with boiled potatoes, puffed rice and Wai Wai noodles, while also clarifying that momo is often, and incorrectly, called “momos.”

Students from different departments pitched in to help their peers set up stalls. Nafosat from Uzbekistan assisted her friend with the Mongolian stall, while psychology students from SPPU helped a classmate decorate the Russian stall, stringing together a series of snowflakes as he wrapped up cooking.

Ahmed, a student at Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, said he had attended similar events at Symbiosis in the past. “If not here, it is very difficult to find so many cultures and cuisines in one place,” he said.

Wali Rahman Rahmani, representing Afghanistan at the event, shared his understanding of how food flows through cultural memory and maps of geography, “ Food is far more than nourishment; it is a cultural language shaped by geography, history, and collective memory.

Students from different departments pitched in to help their peers set up stalls. Nafosat from Uzbekistan assisted her friend with the Mongolian stall

At international food festivals, we witness how mountains, deserts, rivers, and climate determine what people grow, cook, and cherish. Each dish tells a story of survival, adaptation, celebration, and belief. Understanding these food traditions allows us to understand how different cultures see the world and relate to one another.

Food is also one of humanity’s most powerful tools for connection. Many conflicts may begin around resources and control often linked to food but peace, dialogue, and reconciliation almost always return to the same place: the shared table. When people eat together, barriers soften, conversations begin, and humanity is rediscovered.

For us in Afghanistan, food holds an even deeper meaning. It is inseparable from hospitality, one of the strongest pillars of our society. To host a guest is to offer the best of what we have, regardless of our own circumstances. Food is in itself a discipline to be studied, but yeah I do see the beauties behind it and how different communities adopted different foods.”

Paritosh, who was invited by a friend, said the festival introduced him to cuisines from different countries and revealed surprising similarities across diverse food cultures.

Aboubakr Rigi from Iran, a PhD student in English, citing the example of Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan who studied in India, added, “These festive organizations are good to have future relationships. Who knows — one of these students goes ahead to lead their countries.”

The festival also featured cultural performances, including renditions of songs such as Bella Ciao.

The event concluded with music and dance, with most stalls selling out by the end of the day. Dustbins overflowed across the venue as crowds slowly and steadily dispersed.

The writer is an intern with The Indian Express