The Best Food Festivals In the World
We human beings are a hungry bunch. If the world’s best food festivals are any clue, we love celebrating food as much as we love celebrating with it.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of such events every year, and some are better than others. These are our favourite foodie fests in New Zealand and elsewhere to add to your bucket list. You would probably need to win a jackpot at a top rated casino to get to them all, so choose carefully.
Wildfoods Festival, New Zealand
Held every March in the New Zealand South Island town of Hokitika, Wildfoods showcases some of nature’s more unusual abundance. If you have ever wondered what earthworms, mountain oysters, huhu grubs, and gorse wine tastes like, this is where you can find out.
Don’t worry – if you start feeling a little green around the gills, there are a few conventional meal options you can tuck into.
Oktoberfest, Germany
Arguably the world’s most famous beverage festival, there is much more to Germany’s Oktoberfest than beer (although there is more than enough of it to go around). Apart from a killer vibe and incredible live entertainment, there is always a huge selection of traditional snacks and delicacies such as sausages and pretzels to stave off any hunger pangs.
Beware, though – if you want to check out Oktoberfest, be sure to book early. When we say it’s popular, we mean it.
Pizzafest, Italy
If you, like us, are entirely lacking in willpower when it comes to resisting the cheesy delights of pizza, you need to get yourself to the Italian city of Naples in September. Thousands of hungry revellers descend on the popular dish’s place of origin for its annual Pizzafest, and it is not to be missed.
More than 100 000 pizzas featuring 50 classic toppings as well as surprising modern twists are made in one night.
National Street Food Festival, India
The Indian city of Kolkata may be one of the world’s sweet capitals, but New Delhi is where you will want to be for the annual National Street Food Festival. India is famous for its incredible variety of street food, and the festival brings as much of it into one location as possible.
You can take a slow stroll around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, and sample gol gappe, chhole kulcha, chaat, various flatbreads, papads, and even sweetmeats.
Bacon Festival, USA
A Bacon Festival? It was bound to happen sooner or later. Sacramento, USA, is the site of the wildly popular event that offers visitors a chance to enjoy their favourite meat in a variety of traditional and new ways.
You can find cheap and cheerful fare such as bacon tater tots or salad, as well as exciting fusions such as bacon ramen, and weirdly wonderful desserts, such as bacon gelato.
Salon du Chocolat, Ecuador
In ancient times, chocolate was known as the food of the gods, and, according to some, it still is. Salon du Chocolat, an annual festival that takes place in Quito, Ecuador, is the perfect way to celebrate it.
You will be able to do a lot more than just stuff your face at this festival, though. It is also a great place to see your favourite confection in a whole new light. Don’t believe us? Just check out the event’s eagerly-awaited fashion show.
Giant Omelette Celebration, France
Visit the French town of Bessieres around Eastertime, and prepare to have your ideas about the nation’s fine dining challenged. According to a local tradition, the Giant Omelette Celebration dates back to the time of Napoleon, who ordered the townsfolk to break every egg in the making of a giant omelette.
These days, scores of chefs gather together, and proceed to turn approximately 15 000 eggs into an eggy delight that is big enough to feed, well, a town.
With so much going on in so many places, the world is your oyster in more ways than one. Come hungry
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