More than 350 people attended a recent event in Abbotsford that celebrated a variety of foods from different countries.
Taste Around the World was held Aug. 24 at Jubilee Park and was hosted by Archway Community Services in collaboration with United Way B.C., Tourism Abbotsford and the City of Abbotsford.
“Multiculturalism is an integral value that Canadian communities strive to foster and protect,” said Amy Van Bergen, a community coordinator with the Abbotsford Local Immigration Partnership.
“It allows each of us to add value to our shared experiences through our unique strengths, belief systems, innovations, traditions and, of course, food.”
Guests had the opportunity to taste Taiwanese, Ukrainian, Afghan, Eritrean, Mexican and Indian dishes which had been prepared by volunteer cooks at Sevenoaks Alliance Church.
Mayor Ross Siemens said one of the city's goals is to bring cultures together and celebrate our uniqueness.
“There's no better way than to have food, cultural activities that bring people together, and understand where we came from to make Abbotsford the most diverse city outside of Vancouver and Toronto,” he said.
The event featured a range of sweet and savoury foods, including borscht, stir fried noodles, bolani (Afghan fried bread), hambasha (Eritrean sweet bread), chole masala (chickpea curry) and chicken mole and rice.
Many of the volunteers who prepared the food attended the event and provided information about their respective dishes, homelands and cultures.
“All of the samples were delicious, and I’m glad that I was able to bring my children so that they have an opportunity to appreciate foods from all around the world,” said an attendee.
In addition to the food samples, there were booths representing local organizations and community resources.
The event was a joint project between Archway Community Services’ Valley Food Connection and Diversity Education programs.
Many of the volunteer cooks were clients of Archway’s Settlement Services programs, which help thousands of newcomers integrate into the community.
"Food is a universal language, and it was so lovely to see all the cooks laughing and taking pictures together and sharing their food and trying new things," said Vicki Lin, supervisor of the Archway Valley Food Connection.
"Sharing food is a language unto itself. It was great to see community members connecting with one another no matter what their first language may be.”
