NORWICH – The Guernsey Memorial Library, in collaboration with the BOCES English as a Second Language adult education class, hosted the Third Annual International Food Fest Saturday, using foreign foods to entice people to learn more about different cultures and international members of the community.

In planning for Food Fest, each adult student in Bharti Shahi’s BOCES ESL class prepared a dish commonly served in their native country. Foods representing countries including Mexico, Japan, Sudan, China, Turkey, Ecuador and Puerto Rico were prepared, along with recipes and cooking instructions that students wrote.

The purpose, according to Shahi, is to improve students’ communication and English language skills while also breaking down barriers between local and international members of the community.

“They were all very eager to participate and completely willing to sacrifice their day for it,” Shahi said of her students. “This is a great event, especially for such a small community ... It gives people a chance to learn of another culture through food and communication with people from other countries and it moves people away from a traditional meat and potatos diet.”

Chris Mack, whose wife is an ESL student who prepared a Japanese dish for the occasion, said it’s an excellent way of getting locals to communicate with foreigners who are too often