City residents get the taste of Dishes from Seven French-Speaking Countries

Chandigarh, March 26, 2023: As a part of the Francophonie Week food stalls from seven French-speaking countries were set up at Alliance Française, Sector 36 here.

The Alliance Française jointly with the Canadian Consulate, held the 2023 edition of the Week of the Francophonie from March 18 to 25. The “Francophonie Week” is the festival of the French language and cultures of the French-speaking countries, which is celebrated in the middle of March across the world.

The week-long activities also included an artistic activity and screening of short films during the week at the centre.

Giving the details, Ophélie Belin, Director of Alliance Française Chandigarh informed, the Canadian stall had Nanaimo Bars, a well known dessert from Canada named after the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. And for foodies, cinnamon rolls were a major attraction at the stall.

Hala Kheifes from Lebanon informed, “Traditional Lebanese Hummus, which is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice and garlic usually garnished with olive oil, paprika and parsley was one of the most sought after dishes there, besides Batenjen Moutabbal, a dish made of roasted and spiced eggplant, tahini, olive, salt and lemon juice. Batata Harra, a potato dish was also liked by the visitors. Other dishes from Lebanon included, Mana-ish Za’atar, Nammoura and Lebanese lemonade.

Vidoola Deerpaul from Mauritius said, ”We had Dhol Puri, Coconut Cake and fresh fruit juices. Dhol Puri is inspired by Indian cuisine and symbolises street food culture. It is a salty pancake stuffed with chana dhal.”

There was also Tunisian food available there, including Tajine, a dish prepared with eggs, chicken, potatoes, carrot, parsley and spices. Meanwhile, Couscous and Tunisian salad turned out to be a favourite for the health conscious.

There was Tahitian salad, and Po’E, made from coconut milk and bananas, while French food stall also saw large crowds, which had cheese of the valley of mashobra, smoked cheese and cream cheese bread.

Samboussa, similar to the Indian samosa, was there at the Burundi food stall, which was also a big attraction there.