With food festivals being so universal these days, some would argue whether there’s a need to attend a food festival happening in a far-off place, just to satisfy your sweet (or savoury) tooth. While that’s a valid argument, being a dedicated gourmand, are you ever satisfied with those standard food festivals, where even a cup of ‘average’ fruit salad sells at crazy prices? How many times have you told yourself, “this isn’t a real food festival” after you’ve reached those venues? A million times?
That’s true. Food festivals are one of the most celebrated events for those who have taken food as a religion. It shouldn’t be a venue for selling inferior quality food at unreasonable prices. While some of the legendary food festivals have been there for decades or centuries, some of them have evolved over the years as a revolution against the mediocre, run of the mill food festivals in various parts of the world. However, one thing you can be sure of is, these massive food fests attract the biggest names in the industry — best master chefs, the culinary rock stars, celebrated brewmasters, and big-league winemakers!
Giving a big shoutout to the foodies out there, here are the biggest and most popular food festival from around the globe where “notorious” food lovers and legendary wine tasters in the world descend to quench their long-time hankering:
1) Melbourne Food And Wine Festival, Australia
From a very modest beginning in 1993, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has grown to attract over 250 thousand attendees taking part in more than 200 events by the bank of Melbourne. In March, fine diners and wine aficionados fill their tummy with some of the finest dishes prepared by legendary chefs and the best selection of wines from the famous wineries of Victoria.
2) San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival, USA
Showcasing San Diego’s finest food and wine, hundreds of culinary experts, brewmasters and winemakers gather together to serve their specialities with the thousands of hungry & thirsty foodies at the Bay Wine + Food Festival. Head down to San Diego to experience the once in a lifetime gastro-adventure while discovering new wine and cuisines from over 150 wineries and 60 of the best restaurants in San Diego!
3) Pizzafest, Italy
Thousands of pizza fanatics from around the globe flock together in Naples for two weeks in September to celebrate the birth of the most famous food in the history of the world — the Pizza. The cradle of pizza is jam-packed with gastronomists, who take part in various contests, demonstrations, and other activities. You can watch the pizza maestros showing off their skills by tossing the dough with a spin while dancing to the live music.
4) La Tomatina, Spain
La Tomatina, which happens in August every year, is one of the biggest food festivals (or perhaps, food fight festivals) in the world, where thousands upon thousands of visitors from across the globe gather together to paint the streets of Buñol red. Over 100 metric tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown at each other as a celebration of what was apparently a street squabble in 1945 using tomatoes as the weapon of choice!
5) Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, New Zealand
If you’re lucky enough to be at the rustic West Coast of New Zealand during the early autumn, you can get to experience the taste of the wild at the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival. Quite literally, the food varieties include clams dishes, wasp larvae ice creams, raw and cooked scorpions, sharks, whitebaits, clams, and even ostrich sandwiches! To top it all, there are newer and newer varieties of dishes and refreshments tried out every year using the wildest of the wildest creatures found around the world. Hungry for a ‘worm’ delicacy?
6) Annual Golden Spurtle, Scotland
Top porridge makers descend on the picturesque Scottish highlands to celebrate what is now named the Annual Golden Spurtle. The World Porridge Making Championship winners get the highly prestigious “Golden Spurtle” Trophy and the world title! Apart from the thousands of porridge-loving tourists, hundreds of oat farmers, café owners, and celebrities in the cereal business from Switzerland, Russia, Sweden, and even far away countries attend the Annual Golden Spurtle each year.
7) The Onion Market, Switzerland
Zibelemärit is the name of the Bern’s most prestigious one-day ‘Onion Market’ festival that is hosted every year in the Swiss capital. Everything that is onion-ish is served, bought, or displayed at the Onion Market — onions, garlic, onion sculptures, onion tarts, nutty onions, onion soup, you name it. However, the surprise is that none of these is the ‘yuck! onions’ things but exhibitions are of the finest onions and onion dishes that you may fall in love with!
8) Salon du Chocolat, France
Who doesn’t love chocolates? Even the hardest of hearts melt when it comes to chocolate, right? If you’re down for chocolates, you shouldn’t miss the prestigious chocolate festival of France called ‘Salon du Chocolat.’ Featuring more than 200 renowned pastry chefs and over 500 chocolate lovers from over 60 countries of the world, this festival happens every year (around October-November) in Paris-Porte de Versailles. Go, participate, and tease your taste buds with the most comforting bite of fine chocolates.
9) Savour, Singapore
“Fine dining at its best” — that’s what Savour, the food festival of Singapore is all about! The festival takes place in a 22,000-square-foot food street at Marina Bay and features more than three grand culinary events, serving more than 50 signature dishes from award-winning chefs and culinary experts. The big names in the Industry, including France’s Alain Passard, Hong Kong Michelin maestro Alvin Leung, and Australian chef Mark Best, have made appearances in this big gastronomic extravaganza. Savour also hosts a wide range of contests and competitions where self-learned culinary stars and budding chefs can prove their mettle and win prestigious awards.
10) Fiesta Del Marisco De O Grove (Seafood Festival), Spain
Since 1963, the small Galician town of O Grove is the host to the greatest seafood festivals in the world — the Fiesta Del Marisco De O Grove or the Seafood Festival! Exquisite seafood creations and quintessentially local food varieties, visually appealing & mouthwatering gourmet seafood delicacies are all offered at the Seafood Festival. This is truly a remarkable celebration where the seafood gourmands don’t seem to bother about to close their wide-open mouths after seeing what’s on display. Some serious finger licking job is underway as internationally-renowned chefs, kitchen maestros, and the best local culinary experts present their dishes made with all sorts of seafood, including oysters, clams, octopus, prawns, razor-fish, crab, and the special O Grove mussels!
Already craving to go? Well, it couldn’t be impossible at all to be at your favourite food festivals at the right time. You just need to adjust the dates of your next international tour to be there at your favourite festival. If that sounds interesting, how about an incredible offer from our side? We can help you get to your favourite food festivals through our hassle free tourist visa services and custom tailored holiday packages.while you sit back and take a sip of your coffee (or do whatever you have to do in the meantime)! Contact us to know more.
