The scent of grilling burgers wafted from the Mullins Center as University of Massachusetts Dining herded thousands of students into the annual Taste of UMass on Thursday. As the first treat of the event, students waiting in line could grab a mini bacon burger from Baby Berk before heading into the chaos.

This giant expo, which was free for all students with an on-campus meal plan, featured over 70 food vendors handing out free samples and take-home goodies. As always, the Patriots cheerleaders attended to sign autographs and do a couple of kitschy routines. This year’s festivities also included a UMass version of Cupcake Wars hosted by the energetic Iron Chef host Kevin Brauch.

The booths featured cuisine from all four of the UMass dining commons, as well as other on-campus eateries and brands that sponsor UMass, like Coke and Barilla.

Students that brought backpacks could make a killing from the many booths giving away free samples of bags of chips, bottles of Arizona Rescue Water and much more. Pita Pit had the best samples, which not only included a taste of their famous pitas, but also free t-shirts, hats and bags.

The dining commons ditched their overdone menus and created new delicious concepts, and Berkshire and Hampshire took the cake with their creations. Berkshire’s Mexican theme looked rather cliché, with two types of tacos and servers dressed in sombreros, but the dessert could have easily been the best taste of “Taste.” The “Petite Mexican Banana Splits” surprisingly blended the flavors of banana, avocado, ice cream and fried tortilla chips. Whether or not this is truly an authentic Mexican recipe is questionable, but nevertheless taste buds were not disappointed.

Hampshire’s main dishes proved difficult to eat in a crowd, but the coconut ice cream in a chocolate cup was another highlight of the expo. The ice cream burst with coconut flavor and a sprig of mint added pleasure. While the chocolate cup did not taste like anything special, it was a nice idea and saved on waste.

The event also featured local farmers that provide many ingredients for UMass Dining. The Joe Czajkowski Farm’s booth looked nondescript, but the Hadley farm provided samples of cooked asparagus and fiddleheads – a delicious and nutritious vegetable with only a two-week window for harvesting. The Joe Czajkowski Farm, along with other local farms, delivers fresh produce all over Massachusetts.

UMass Permaculture, an interdisciplinary group of students and community members funded by Auxiliary Services, wanted to educate attendees with pamphlets about permaculture and course offerings.  UMass Permaculture is hosting multiple classes during summer and fall 2012 educating students in permaculture and sustainable living.

As part of UMass Dining’s efforts toward sustainability and cutting down on waste, employees stood by each receptacle, pointing out which items were recyclable and even digging through trash to move compostable items into the correct bins.

But some of the biggest hits at this event were not healthy or local – lines grew for ice cream, buffalo chicken, sugary cereals and French fries.

One of these less popular booths consisted of Australis Barramundi fish, which didn’t sound too appetizing, but was a nice surprise for those who approached the table. Even for fish-haters, this product went over well due to its mild taste.  Based out of Turners Falls, Australis Agriculture uses innovative fish farming as an answer to the environmental problems facing fisheries today. The Barramundi is one of the few fish that can turn vegetable matter into Omega 3 fatty acids.

Students that arrived closer to the 4:30 opening mark felt the luxury of roaming the Mullins Center arena and spending time at each booth. After 5:30, the event became claustrophobic, and it was frustrating maneuvering through the crowd, as most of the people on a meal plan were in attendance due to the closing of the dining commons. For those who hate the crowds but like sampling new foods and walking away with some extra snacks, arriving early would be a good plan for next year.

Acacia DiCiaccio can be reached at [email protected].