West and east met at the North Court on Saturday as the first Orange Masala cultural festival was hailed a success.
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Masala is a mixture of spices used in Indian and Asian food.
Orange Culture Hub president Grace Pereira said it was the perfect description for the city and Saturday’s cultural event.
Mrs Pereira said mixture of spices represented not only organisations behind the event, but the community.
“It’s such a diverse group of people,” she said.
“Because of the success, it pushes us to do it again.”
Visitors were presented with an eclectic mix of dancing, singing, food, craft as well as activities designed to improve people’s mental wellbeing.
Mrs Pereira said many of the people cooking their culture’s delicacies weren’t professional chefs but wanted to share what made their cuisines unique.
“The volunteers are showing you their food, it’s why you see Nepalese dumplings and south Indian rice crepes,” she said.
“It’s things you don’t get in Orange, they are regional delicacies, you might get them in Sydney, but not in Orange.”
Chef Fifi Saragih said the Dardar Gulang, or Indonesian coconut pancakes, had sold out in 30 minutes of people arriving for the event.
“People were just coming to try the food. Some came back to tells how delicious it was,” Mrs Saragih said.
“It’s great to see so many people enjoying [the food].”
Mrs Saragih operates her own home-based business said it was the first time she had organised a stall for an event.
Asian cultures weren’t the only ones represented – Erick Cortes and Luisa Echeverri flew the flag for Brazil and Colombia as they performed a dance.
“Coming to Orange, there’s not a lot of South Americans, it’s nice to share a bit of our Latin culture in Orange,” Mr Cortes said.
Ms Echeverri said while Colombia and Brazil were different countries they shared some traditions and similarities.
“Being able to share that with everyone else is great,” she said.
Orange’s Christine Gilmour said it was great to see families who had brought their kitchen to the event so they could share their cuisine.
“I think they’re a little more bold in their culture when it comes dancing and it would be great to see the event grow,” Mrs Gilmour said.
Declan Rurenga
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
Declan Rurenga was the editor of Griffith's Area News and Leeton's Irrigator until September 2023. Before landing at the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area, he reported news in Junee, Wagga Wagga, Orange and Cootamundra.
