International Festival of Houston 2010

Visitors from all over the city gathered in Downtown Houston to experience the cultural variety provided by the 2010 International Festival. Set up much like fair grounds, visitors could wander through international arts markets, educational interactive exhibits, fashion shows, street theater, 8 music stages, and enjoy more than 50 food vendors as well as cooking demonstrations.

As I stepped into the festival area, I was immediately greeted by sounds, smells and colors from all over the world, starting with Jamaican zone. The colorful robes and entrancing moves of the dancers forced me to stop and watch for a song as they performed a traditional routine. Moving north pass the Bacardi tent and children’s play area, I waited in line for a Jamaican dish. I was unprepared for the sharp spices of jerk lamb which made my mouth salivate and my eyes water at rapid rate. The oily saturation captured all the flavors and marinate the meat in flavorful juices. The lamb was complimented by rice and potatoes, also heavily doused with spices. I opted to try a beef empanada as well. This is similar to a meet pie, but encased in a biscuit like shell, with a large pot-sticker like shape. As with the previous dish, the spices in the meat filling were fragrant and tasty. I decided to chase my delicious meal with a frozen lemonade and cool off in shade as I watched an African drum performance.

The festival market vendors ranged from color clothing wraps, to hand carved masks and sculptures, beautiful paintings and of course, more food. The most intriguing item was a latin wrap. I was too full to try the wrap myself, but fellow festival attendee was kind enough to let me inspect his. The wrap was a cross between Mexican and Greek food. The encasing was similar to pita bread of a Gyro and soft in texture. Inside the wrap was your choice of Mexican style mixings such as lettuce, beans, beef, chicken, cheese, and so on. Had I not already eaten, I definitely would have given this tasty looking dish a try.

The overall atmosphere of the iFest was casual and friendly. The crowd seemed to loose all inhibitions as they grooved to the musical performances, genuinely having a good time. I look forward to returning to this cultural and culinary adventure next year.

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