BIDDEFORD — Vietnamese fried rice, an Iraqi chicken and rice dish called biryani, Ukrainian perogies and the West African cassava dough called fufu all sound pretty tasty. So does a Moroccan chicken pie called bastille, African donuts called beignet, Jewish pastry known as rugelach and cretons, the French-Canadian pork spread.
People will be able to sample all the many flavors of Biddeford, noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday Aug. 21 at Mechanic’s Park. The Cultural Cuisine event is hosted by the Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center and takes place in conjunction with the city’s River Jam Festival.
The Cultural Cuisine tents will offer free samples of foods representative of the many cultures and ethnicities of Biddeford’s residents, said BCHC member and event organizer Debbie Litalien.
“If you’ve ever wondered what some of the favorite foods of other countries or cultures are, then this is a great opportunity to experience dishes from a dozen different countries and ethnicities prepared by members of our diverse Biddeford community,” said Litalien.
Festival-goers will have the opportunity to enjoy tastes from Morocco, Vietnam, Ukraine, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Iraq, Angola, DRC Congo, Rwanda, as well as Eastern European Jewish and French-Canadian cultures, she said.
The event is made possible by a matched grant from Maine 200 and is presented by the BCHC and the Biddeford Adult Ed English Language Learners class. For more information about the event, contact Litalien at dlitalien622@gmail.com or 468-0234.
The River Jam festival is a free, annual community celebration of life on the Saco River, providing a weekend of music, arts, and outdoor events. It is a collaboration with LaKermesse, Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center, Engine, Heart of Biddeford, and the Biddeford & Saco Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit riverjamfest.com.
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