The 24 Food Festivals Around The World You Should Experience Before You Die
Enjoy selected fine red wines paired with Guyenne cheese and foie gras from the food stalls. Then head out of town to stroll through the vineyards and enjoy themed tours in the acclaimed wine-producing castles and surrounding countryside. Every autumn, during every weekend for two months, the powerful aroma of the best truffles harvested in the nearby forests of Langhe and Roero fills the market at the Alba International Truffle Fair (5 October to 24 November 2019). The festival also offers a traditional donkey race, parade and re-enactments with hundreds of locals in medieval costumes. From street snacks to artisanal dishes, the delicious food and drinks you enjoy during your travels can make you purr contentedly. At food festivals around the world, you can enjoy culinary delights while gaining cultural insight.
Visit the glorious Spanish capital of Madrid for three days of gastronomic excellence in January. Expect to see top global chefs like Hisato Hamada in northern Italy, identify trends in the gourmet market, sample authentic wines, and watch the Madrid Fusion Pastelry pastry contest in awe. Being a foodie in a world full of endless travel options is the perfect excuse to visit one of the best food festivals in the world. From chocolate extravaganzas in Europe to lobster tastings in the United States, we’ve scaled down 10 of the best global food festivals for the best food tour around the world. Taste festivals have spread to Cape Town, Hong Kong and around the world, but the London edition was the inaugural event and remains the most impressive.
Foodies will appreciate gourmet sausages, smoked salmon and game meat, while adventurers will love offbeat ones like fish eyes, scorpions, pig ears and duck heads. Melbourne reaffirms itself as a gastronomic hotspot every March with a full programme of gastronomic events at Melbourne’s annual Food and Wine Festival. Taste, taste and taste the state of Victoria’s abundant seasonal produce in tastings, cooking masterclasses and banquets. Locations range from food markets and rooftop bars to boutique vineyards and award-winning restaurants. The two-day event is filled with music, shows, cooking demonstrations, competitions, and plenty of delicious food to try. The festival has several events during the four days with demonstrations of famous chefs from all over the world, as well as the exhibition of the amazing local chefs of Nevis.
Then macaron masters with the Prince of Pastry of Bali, Rafi Papazian; make the healing herbal drink Jamu; cooking with clay pots and wood stoves in a traditional paon; and breathe deeply into a fiery sambal. In addition to cooking, consider the introductory course on Indonesian language and culture, led by an instructor from the Cinta Bahasa Indonesian Language School. For four days in early March, the Taste of Sydney festival takes over Sydney’s verdant Centennial Parklands, minutes from the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney. Wine tastings and butcher and pastry demonstrations add an interactive element, and an artisan market of local ingredients and products means you can enjoy long after the festival ends. More than 60 dishes from notable Sydney chefs, such as Mark Best and Nelly Robinson, are the main attraction. Try grilled octopus, shrimp toast okonomiyaki, and lamb skewers, then retreat to a glamping tent with a glass of Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc.
Festival visitors can go to each of the different participants and try the different types of pizza. Hours change, but you can count on food carts, trucks, markets, cooking classes, meet and greet renowned French chefs, and a focus on local cuisine. Scotland’s biggest free food and drink festival returns to Edinburgh and showcases the flavours of the country, along with a host of chef demonstrations and catch-up workshops. Sip tasty international street food, from poke bowls to fiery chili con carne, or sip on local produce, including the country’s iconic beverage, Scotch Whiskey. Escape to Freight Island, landing in Manchester’s urban food market and entertainment space and bringing top guest chefs, restaurants and bars to the already vibrant food scene at Depot Mayfield. As if you need another reason to visit the Caribbean, the Cayman Cookout is a great culinary event that takes place on Grand Cayman Island to celebrate the flavors of the region.
Admission is free to enter the festival, but be prepared to have cash for food. It usually takes place in August for two days, but I plan to take public transport as there is no parking available near the festival site. Favorite events from previous festivals include Saturday night’s saliva roast, Hotel Zetta’s happy hour, and plenty of entertainment venues and music options. From the land where cattle seemingly have more people, the waters abound with seafood, and where sun-ripened fruits and vegetables grow forever, it’s no wonder Sydney hosts one of the world’s largest food festivals. It makes their mouths water when they think of all the delicious food that the streets of Delhi have to offer. Street vendors from all over the country travel to Delhi for this occasion, surprising people with a variety of street food.
While the Music City Wine + Food Festival may only be a few years old, it has a huge impact on the food world. This event is held in historic Bicentennial Park and features more than 60 food, wine and spirits vendors during The Grand Taste. A wide range of foods are served, Oktoberfest including octopus, Corn Razeman ramen and white miso ice cream. And of course you can’t have a Southern food festival without the barbecue. Don’t miss Martin’s barbecue feast with whole pork, lamb, goat, fish, and a variety of other foods slowly cooked over a live fire.
Receive a day pass for delicious food, fun activities, and other fresh, innovative year-changing events. The event features the region’s best restaurants and chefs and honors Charleston’s culinary experience. Athletes, children and visitors take part in bike tours, mountain biking, hiking, snorkeling excursions and football tournaments during the day, while for the serious sports enthusiasts there is the Knysna Forest Marathon. Cocktail evenings, wine tastings and lunch buffets offer the opportunity to enjoy fresh, fried and marinated oysters to your heart’s content.
