Pune: The International Center of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on Tuesday organized an International Food Festival on its campus as part of the university’s ongoing programme. International Youth Festival 2026. The event brought together students from more than 25 countries who showcased traditional cuisines from their home countries under the theme “Say no to drugs and yes to life.”
According to Kavin, who has been the festival’s presenter for several years, the theme is chosen annually to reflect contemporary concerns. “Each year, the theme responds to what is happening around us. This year, it focuses on issues affecting youth,” he said. The message resonated throughout the festival, including in a theme song performed during the event.
The event brought together students from more than 25 countries who showcased traditional cuisines from their home countries under the theme “Say no to drugs and yes to life.”
The hosts began with the Afghanistan post and continued with Bangladesh, Mongolia, Eritrea, Chad, Russia, Fiji, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Egypt, South Sudan, Iran, Mozambique and Vietnam, many of which attracted large crowds. Several students prepared the dishes in university hostels and shared recipes with visitors curious about the ingredients and cooking methods, while also seeking feedback.
Representing Nepal, Pratham Patel, a second-year BBA IB (Bachelor of Business Administration in International Business) student, and his friends served choila, jhol momo and chatpate, a street snack made with boiled potatoes, puffed rice and Wai Wai noodles, while clarifying that momo is often, and incorrectly, called “momos.”
Students from different departments collaborated to help their classmates set up the stalls. Nafosat from Uzbekistan helped her friend with the Mongolian stall, while SPPU psychology students helped a classmate decorate the Russian stall, stringing a series of snowflakes as she finished cooking.
Ahmed, a student at Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences, said he had attended similar events at Symbiosis in the past. “If it’s not here, it’s very difficult to find so many cultures and cuisines in one place,” he said.
Story continues below this ad.
Wali Rahman Rahmani, Afghanistan’s representative at the event, shared his understanding of how food flows through cultural memory and geographic maps: “Food is much more than food; it is a cultural language shaped by geography, history and collective memory.
Students from different departments collaborated to help their classmates set up the stalls. Nafosat from Uzbekistan helped her friend at the Mongolian post
At international food festivals, we witness how mountains, deserts, rivers and climate determine what people grow, cook and appreciate. Each dish tells a story of survival, adaptation, celebration and belief. Understanding these food traditions allows us to understand how different cultures view the world and relate to each other.
Food is also one of humanity’s most powerful connection tools. Many conflicts may begin over resources and control, often linked to food, but peace, dialogue and reconciliation almost always return to the same place: the shared table. When people eat together, barriers soften, conversations begin, and humanity is rediscovered.
For us in Afghanistan, food has an even deeper meaning. It is inseparable from hospitality, one of the strongest pillars of our society. Hosting a guest is offering the best of what we have, regardless of our own circumstances. Food is in itself a discipline that must be studied, but yes, I see the beauties behind it and how different communities adopted different foods.”
Story continues below this ad.
Paritosh, who was invited by a friend, said the festival introduced him to cuisines from different countries and revealed striking similarities between various food cultures.
Aboubakr Rigi of Iran, a doctoral student in English, citing the example of Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan who studied in India, added: “These festive organizations are good for future relationships. Who knows, one of these students goes on to lead their countries.”
The festival also featured cultural performances.including performances of songs like Bella Ciao.
The event concluded with music and dancing, and most of the stalls were sold out by the end of the day. Trash bins overflowed all over the place as the crowd slowly and steadily dispersed.
The writer is an intern at The indian express