Fest adds variety to cuisine

By Patti Denton

[email protected]

October 31, 2002

The ethnic food variety and the number of booths have increased significantly at this year's International Festival, which begins today.

"We have 15 food vendors, while last year we had nine, so we have a big increase," said vendor organizer Yvonne Oomkes. "That's the exciting part."

In addition, the vendor numbers are translating into newcomers bringing foods from India, Turkey and Greece that weren't on the menu last year. While the 2002 International Festival will include music, other entertainment and an arts marketplace for shopping, the variety of tastes of countries' heritage is the destination for many visitors.

The 26th annual event is sponsored by the Nationalities Association Council of Indiana. More than 50 ethnic groups are affiliated with the council, said president Susan McKee.

Oomkes said she had made efforts to sign up a Mexican restaurant to represent one of the largest growing ethnic segments of the city's population, but understands the challenge of staffing a restaurant and supplying workers for the festival, which concludes Sunday at the Exposition Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

As in the past, a number of ethnic associations will depend on volunteers to make and sell foods of their native heritage. This includes the Taiwanese American Association of Indianapolis, which Oomkes said will have one of the largest booths.

Taste of Africa

Indianapolis fans of the African Sambusa Hut restaurant, which closed on Boulevard Place earlier this year, will find Prince Julius Adeniyi's catering operation of Nigerian and West African specialties on hand. One of the longest-running groups to be involved, the German-American Klub, will have its usual range of desserts, from apple strudel to black forest cake.

Cocobongos' fruit-mixed drinks will represent Cuba.

Among the first-timers at the festival and a recent arrival in the city is Tayfun Isik. The owner of The Bosphorus Turkish Cuisine, 935 S. East St., opened the doors of his restaurant at the end of August, just as the World Basketball Championship games were beginning in Indianapolis.

Isik will introduce festival guests to chicken and other satays, stuffed grape leaves, borek, a phyllo dough stuffed with feta cheese and herbs, and a Greek salad Turkish-style, which doesn't include feta but is marinated with a balsamic vinegar mixture.

"It is not spicy at all," said Isik. "We rely on added herbs," which include oregano, paprika and sumac, dried powdered berries that look like red pepper but taste like lemon. The sumac is served on the side with marinated onions at the restaurant. "Everyone keeps asking, 'What is this spice?' " said Isik, who has found the spice at the International Food Market, 4861 W. 38th St.

More flavor

Besides The Bosphorus, a Chicago-based restaurant, Turkish Cuisine, has been invited by the local Turkish association to share in the festivities.

Other participants preparing food for this year's festival include the Stergiopoulos family with the Greek Islands Restaurant, as well as another Greek food vendor, Papageorge's; the India Association of Indianapolis; the Burma Cultural Center; the Indianapolis Chinese Community Center; Uncle Artie's BBQ; the Tastes of Congo; the Philippine Barangay Club of Indiana; and Manila Express, a Philippines concession stand that will bring shish kebabs, fried rice and eggrolls, called shanghai, for the third year.