The annual West Liberty University International Food Festival took place last Thursday after taking a year out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Take-out bags were available from the international center in Shotwell Hall. Bags had to be pre-ordered but a limited number were available on a first-come-first-serve basis. The event was run by the WLU International Club and co-sponsored by the Student Government Association.

Each bag contained a number of different dishes from several countries around the world. Each came with instructions on how to prepare the food and a link to recreate the dish if desired. Featured countries included South Korea, Germany, Japan, Nepal, and Romania.

The makeshift take-out restaurant was open from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on April 15 with a $2 dollar minimum donation required per bag. All donations made were contributed towards the WLU International Student Club, SPICES.

The South Korean dish bibimbap (vegetables with rice and pork) with seaweed and kimchi (napa cabbage, daikon radish, cucumber – pickled salad) was a big hit. “My favorite was the bim bim bap. I enjoyed the different use of spices and flavors,” said Zayne Brakeall, a junior at WLU who got a take-out bag. The cooking instructions recommended adding a fried egg served sunnyside up alongside the dish. You can find the recipe to recreate the bim bim bap here.

The German feature dish was jaeger spaetzle, an egg noodle dish with a mushroom sauce and is a staple of the country. The recipe for jaeger spaetzle can be found here. The Japanese dish was miso soup made from soybean and tofu. Miso soup is a popular dish in Japan and has become a stable in Asian restaurants all over the world. A Nepali potato curry, aloo dum, was also included in the bag. The recipe for this tasty and easy to prepare dish can be found here. The final inclusion in the bag was a chocolate cookie from Romania named salam de biscuiti. There are several alterations that can be made to the recipe based on personal preference but the base form of the menu can be found here.

To keep up with the international club and any upcoming events, follow them on social media and look out for emails in your WLU inbox.