World Food Festival. The most unusual food festivals. Mamemaki ritual, Japan
La Tomatina Festival
This is one of the most famous food festivals in the world. It takes place in late August - early September in the Spanish Bunol. For a week, the life of a small town completely obeys the laws of the tomato festival. An average of 35 thousand people come to the festival, but the population of the town itself is 4 times less! It is said that tomato throwing became a symbol of protest against the regime of the dictator Franco, but the story is more plausible that the first tomato throwing in Bunyol took place in 1945, when the city celebrated the day of its patron saint, Saint Bertrand. Tomatina has since been repeatedly banned. But since 1959, every summer, tomato battles in Bunyol have been a regular occurrence. The festival takes place in the city for a week and during this time you can walk around the fair, participate in a paella eating contest and become part of a costumed parade. And on Wednesday, at 11 o'clock in the afternoon, a firecracker is launched from the city hall - a signal to start the battle with tomatoes. The battle lasts exactly one hour. There are no special rules - you can launch a tomato at anyone who is nearby. The most important thing is to comply with the rules of the festival, according to which tomatoes cannot be crushed before throwing, as well as tearing the clothes of another participant.
RoadKill Cook-Off Festival
Gourmets prefer steaks from the meat of rare animals or oysters, and here those who like dishes for animals killed on the roads gather. The festival even hosts competitions in the art of cooking. As a result, guests can taste unique stews made from a raccoon or a possum that died under the wheels of a vehicle. The rules of the annual event state that all participants must come here already with the corpse of an animal killed on the road. You also need to bring a set of necessary utensils and ingredients for cooking. The food is cooked in front of everyone, but it will be judged by a special jury. At the same time, both the appearance of the dish and its taste are taken into account. More recently, the organizers have introduced a new rule. Now the dishes from the dead animals should look as if these creatures were just pulled out from under the wheels of a killer car. The winner of the competition is awarded as much as 300 dollars as a prize. Those who could not come to the festival, but want to taste a dish from an animal that died on the road, can do this in a special institution. So, in the town of Seligman, Arizona, there is a cafe "Road Killers". There you can try the "Dead Deer" steak, grilled ribs called "Raccoon Trap" and even "Chicken that almost crossed the road."
Wild Food Festival
For 22 years now, a permanent festival has been held in the New Zealand town of Hokitika. It is believed that the festival was invented by Claire Briant, a native of New Zealand. Once she treated her friends to an unusual wine made from wild flowers. Thus, the annual culinary weekend was born, dedicated to a variety of rare and unusual dishes of New Zealand cuisine. And on their basis, the festival was born, which increased the number of tourists eight times in a small seaside town. Most of the food looks like sushi. Only "surprises" are hidden inside - slugs, larvae, worms, bull's eyes. Tourists happily eat crispy grasshoppers in a sweet sauce and deep-fried shark meat. But the most famous dish at the festival is smelt pies. These little fish are considered a big treat in New Zealand, and their legal season is very short. If the guests have enough strength for dessert, then you should try ice cream with wasp larvae. To get to this gastronomic feast, you need to pay 30 local dollars, and for another 15 you can get into a night disco.
mango festival
Every year in early July in New Delhi, India, festivities are held dedicated to this fruit. It occupies a special place in the life of the country. The national animal here is the Bengal tiger, the flower is the lotus, and the mango is without a doubt the main fruit in India. According to legend, the Buddha himself once ate it when he was in deep thought. The philosopher ordered to bury the bone of the useful fruit in the place indicated by him. They say that immediately a sprout appeared from the ground, and soon a tree grew, on which fruits appeared in the plural. Since then, mango has become a sacred plant for India. Here it is a symbol of abundance and health. During the year, as many as 9.5 million tons of this fruit are harvested in the country. At the local bazaar, a kilogram of mango costs only half a dollar. Fruit picking reaches its peak in late June - early July. It is at this time that the mango festival takes place in New Delhi. The main guests here are farmers from all over the country. They bring with them new and unusual varieties of fruit that they have bred. You can find here mangoes the size of a chicken egg, and there are those that look like melons. Mango tastings are held at the festival, and you don’t have to pay for such entertainment. There is also a competition here, who will eat fruit faster. As part of the holiday, there is also a women's competition for the best recipe dishes are all from the same mango.
Watermelon Festival Chinchilla Melon
If you love watermelons, then get ready to go to the Australian Chinchilla. The Chinchilla Melon festival is held here every two years. One of its oldest traditions commands all guests to come here in old shoes and clothes. But it's easy to explain. After all, during the days of the festival, all the streets of the town are literally strewn with watermelon pits and peels. So it can be quite difficult to keep balance and not get smeared in sweet juice. The first watermelon festival was held here in 1994. The celebration quickly became a kind of hallmark of the city. He himself is directly related to watermelons - a quarter of the total volume of the country is grown here. No wonder Chinchilla is called the watermelon capital of Australia. There are even a number of competitions for breaking large berries. Watermelons are thrown into the ring, used as shoes, running a race. The most striking event at the festival is the weighing of fruits - the heaviest of them is solemnly declared the watermelon of the year. Well, the most extreme competition is held on breaking hard berries with your head. In 2009, a record was even set, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Australian John Alwood was able to break 47 watermelons in a minute, which brought him fame.
And when people realized that this activity is quite interesting, pleasant and useful, whole festivals dedicated to this "hobby" were born. We will tell about the most famous of them.
RoadKill Cook-Off Festival. Gourmets prefer steaks from the meat of rare animals or oysters, and here those who like dishes for animals killed on the roads gather. The festival even hosts competitions in the art of cooking. As a result, guests can taste unique stews made from a raccoon or a possum that died under the wheels of a vehicle. The rules of the annual event state that all participants must come here already with the corpse of an animal killed on the road. You also need to bring with you a set of dishes necessary for cooking and the ingredients corresponding to the future dish. The food is cooked in front of everyone, but it will be judged by a special jury. This also takes into account appearance dishes and their taste.
More recently, the organizers have introduced a new rule. Now the dishes from the dead animals should look as if these creatures were just pulled out from under the wheels of a killer car. The winner of the competition is awarded as much as 300 dollars as a prize. Those who could not come to the festival, but want to taste a dish from an animal that died on the road, can do this in a special institution. So, in the town of Seligman, Arizona, there is a cafe "Road Killers". There you can try the "Dead Deer" steak, grilled ribs called "Raccoon Trap" and even "Chicken that almost crossed the road."
Sony Pine Mushroom Festival. This event is held annually in South Korean Yangyang in September-October. Dormouse are local delicacies mushrooms. It is believed that they are inferior in quality only to truffles. These mushrooms have chosen a pine forest on Mount Chilbosan. Its name translates as the mountain of seven wonders. The market price for the delicacy is quite high, up to $265 per kilo. It is not surprising that Sony was even nicknamed forest diamonds. When in 2007 the first meeting of the heads of South and North Korea took place in a long time, the politicians first discussed these mushrooms. Kim Jong Il even gave his colleague an expensive gift - as many as 4 tons of recently harvested pine dormouse. These mushrooms can be found in autumn, at the same time a festival is held in Yangyang province in their honor.
Here you can try unique dishes based on these gifts of the forest, buy medicines, one of the components of which is Sonya. It must be said that mushrooms grow exclusively in natural conditions. It is impossible to collect them without a state license. Only once a year, tourists and locals get the right to pick unique Sonya mushrooms. But pleasure is not cheap. A walk with a basket through a beautiful forest in a state of "quiet hunting" will cost about 11 dollars for a child, and one and a half times more for an adult.
Every autumn, for three weekends, this festival is held in the Croatian towns of Lovran, Dobrech and Ligan. The word "maroon" itself has many meanings depending on the language. For example, in Jamaica, these are freedom fighters who fought against the English colonial invaders. And in Croatia, the word has a much more peaceful connotation. This is the name of the local ort of chestnuts, which is considered almost the best in the world. Once upon a time, local sailors brought unusual chestnuts from their eastern travels. They were then crossed with European varieties. This is how maroons were born.
These chestnuts gave their name to the festival, which has now been held annually for nearly 40 years. And the time of year for the celebration is not chosen by chance. After all, it is in autumn that chestnuts ripen, and it is time to collect them. Marunada starts in October. The first celebrations take place in the small town of Lovran, and the next weekend the festival breaks out in the villages of Dobrech and Ligan. The most interesting part of the festival is the tasting of maroons. Roasted chestnuts are most often cooked right under open sky and then sold in paper bags. Local chefs also learned how to add maroons to fish and meat, cook sauces and soups from them, and also prepare salads. Even sweets are prepared from chestnuts - at the festival there are sweets from them, mousses, cakes and even soufflés. After all, the Croatian poor learned how to extract maroon flour a long time ago, replacing it with the usual one.
You can get to this festival in Iceland either on the third Saturday of January or at the end of February. This gastronomic festival is directly related to the Old Norse holiday. The month that we call January, the Vikings called Torri. At this time, they made their sacrifices to the gods, while the soldiers drank a lot, sang and walked. By tradition, the holiday was dedicated to the main god - Thor. And today, at Thorrablot Feast, they do not forget to dedicate a few words to this saint. The ancient festival was forgotten for a long time until Norwegian students decided to revive national tradition. It happened at the end of the 19th century. Since then, festival guests have learned what real Viking cuisine really is. All over Iceland during the festival you can taste the food prepared according to old recipes. Its guests are happy to cook in many restaurants and small taverns.
True, such "wild" foods are not suitable for all pampered European stomachs. Few of the guests dare to try the mutton stomach with minced meat in the form of coagulated sheep blood and lard. And what about sheep brain jelly or pickled bull's eyes? But the real decoration of the festival is the already famous hakarl. This is slightly rotten shark meat, reminiscent of the taste of either squid or sturgeon. Only the smell of such a delicacy is very unpleasant. And such a dish costs as much as 100 euros. The fact that at the Torri festival all the treats are paid is not embarrassing - after all, brennyvin, local potato vodka, is attached to food for free.
If you love watermelons, then get ready to go to the Australian Chinchilla. The Chinchilla Melon festival is held here every two years. One of its oldest traditions commands all guests to come here in old shoes and clothes. But it's easy to explain. After all, during the days of the festival, all the streets of the town are literally strewn with watermelon pits and peels. So it can be quite difficult to keep balance and not get smeared in sweet juice. The first watermelon festival was held here in 1994. The celebration quickly became a kind of hallmark of the city. He himself is directly related to watermelons - a quarter of the total volume of the country is grown here. No wonder Chinchilla is called the watermelon capital of Australia.
This festival is somewhat reminiscent of the famous Tomatina, held in Spain. If in Europe residents destroy tons of tomatoes, then in Australia the guests declare a real war on watermelons for a while. There are even a number of competitions for breaking large berries. Watermelons are thrown into the ring, used as shoes, running a race. The highlight of the festival is the weighing of fruits. The heaviest of them is solemnly declared the Watermelon of the Year. Well, the most extreme competition is held on breaking hard berries with your head. In 2009, a record was even set, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Australian John Alwood was able to break 47 watermelons in a minute, which brought him fame.
For 22 years now, a permanent festival has been held in the New Zealand town of Hokitika. The first such celebration was held here in 1990. It was associated with the 125th anniversary of the city. It is believed that the festival was invented by Claire Briant, a native of New Zealand. Once she treated her friends to an unusual wine made from wild flowers. This idea formed the basis of the celebration. Local entrepreneurs quickly realized that this gastronomic idea is simply doomed to success. This is how the annual culinary weekend was born, dedicated to a variety of rare and unusual dishes of New Zealand cuisine.
And on their basis, the festival was born, which increased the number of tourists eight times in a small seaside town. Most of the food looks like sushi. Only "surprises" are hidden inside - slugs, larvae, worms, bull's eyes. Tourists happily eat crispy grasshoppers in a sweet sauce and deep-fried shark meat. But the most famous dish at the festival is smelt pies. These little fish are considered a big treat in New Zealand, and their legal season is very short. If the guests have enough strength for dessert, then you should try ice cream with wasp larvae. To get to this gastronomic feast, you need to pay 30 local dollars, and for another 15 you can get into a night disco.
In Canada, the first major spring festival of Maple Syrup takes place in March-April. And the collection of maple sap begins in the country at the end of February. Trees that are 30 to 50 years old are suitable for this. A small hole is made in their trunks, from which the liquid flows into buckets. In the future, syrup is prepared from the juice. At the same time, 30-40 liters of raw materials are used for 1 liter of finished products. But this is exactly how much one maple can give to an insatiable person in a season. The collection of juice throughout the country lasts right up to the end of April. Along with this, Canada also hosts the Maple Syrup Festival.
The first mention of this festival dates back to 1760. Then the Indians were still engaged in collecting the refreshing liquid. They evaporated the juice and thus obtained sugar. Today, the festival features many dishes made with maple syrup or with its addition. Some of them can only be tasted here. A classic use for sweet syrup is to eat it with waffles or soup. But vegetable soup is also prepared on its basis, chicken thighs are marinated with it. And we must not forget the famous sugar pie without a crust. The Wheelers Maple Maple Syrup Museum gives a special performance at the festival. Every time he conducts master classes. Thanks to them, everyone can learn how to cook delicious syrup and immediately try what they have done.
Every year on June 24 in the Philippines, in the city of Balayan, a traditional festival is held. Roast piglets are a very popular dish on this island. And on the day when Catholics remember John the Baptist, the Filipinos arrange their holiday. It's called the Lechon Parade. This word in the country is called a whole roasted pig. Before the start of the holiday, important preparations take place. First, the carcasses of the best milk pigs are marinated in spices, vinegar and soy sauce. The meat is then stuffed with pandan leaves and tamarind. The field of this piglet is roasted on a spit.
However, the finished dish is not served at the table at all, but is dressed up in various colorful costumes and worn on the shoulders by the participant along the streets of the city. The parade features pigs in evening and wedding dresses, piglets are dressed in national clothes, sports boxing uniforms or even in Formula 1 racing overalls. And only when the festive procession ends, the perpetrators of the festival are undressed and served at the table. Anyone can enjoy a delicious meal here. In the Philippines, milk pigs are so loved that they are treated not only as a dish, but also as an excellent welcome gift. It is not surprising that at the wedding, the newlyweds will be presented with a small pig.
Every year in early July in New Delhi, India, festivities are held dedicated to this fruit. It occupies a special place in the life of the country. The national animal here is the Bengal tiger, the flower is the lotus, and the mango is without a doubt the main fruit in India. According to legend, the Buddha himself once ate it when he was in deep thought. The philosopher ordered to bury the bone of the useful fruit in the place indicated by him. They say that immediately a sprout appeared from the ground, and soon a tree grew, on which fruits appeared in the plural.
Since then, mango has become a sacred plant for India. Here it is a symbol of abundance and health. During the year, as many as 9.5 million tons of this fruit are harvested in the country. At the local bazaar, a kilogram of mango costs only half a dollar. Fruit picking reaches its peak in late June - early July. It is at this time that the mango festival takes place in New Delhi. The main guests here are farmers from all over the country. They bring with them new and unusual varieties of fruit that they have bred. You can find here mangoes the size of a chicken egg, and there are those that look like melons. Mango tastings are held at the festival, and you don’t have to pay for such entertainment. There is also a competition here, who will eat fruit faster. As part of the holiday, there is also a women's competition for the best recipe for a dish all from the same mango.
The country in which they love gooseberries, like nowhere else - England. Is it any wonder that a whole festival was dedicated to her here. It is held in Agton Bridge in early August. There is evidence that the English knew the gooseberry even under King Edward I, that is, in the XIII century! Although the fact that berry cultivation here began in 1548 looks more reliable. In those days, medieval Germany used gooseberry bushes as hedges and fences.
But in England, enlightened residents specially grew bushes and ate delicious berries. And today the inhabitants of Albion have not departed from the traditions of their ancestors. On the first Tuesday in August, a festival dedicated exclusively to gooseberries is held in North Yorkshire. The main guests here are gardeners. They meet in the church of St. Hedda and argue over whose gooseberries have grown tastier, prettier and bigger. For more than a hundred years there has been a glorious tradition of determining the heaviest berry. As once upon a time, giant gooseberries are weighed on old pharmacy scales. The weight of the berries is measured in grains and drachmas. The last winning gooseberry was more like a golf ball in size.
This is one of the most famous food related festivals in the world. It takes place in late August - early September in the Spanish Bunol. For a week, the life of a small town completely obeys the laws of the tomato festival. An average of 35,000 people come here for the festival. But the population of the town itself is 4 times less! And there was an unusual festival relatively recently. It is said that throwing tomatoes has become a symbol of protest against the regime of the dictator Franco. But a more plausible story is that the first tomato throw in Bunyol took place in 1945, when the city celebrated the day of its patron saint, Saint Bertrand. Tomatina has since been repeatedly banned. But since 1959, every summer, tomato battles in Bunyol have been a regular occurrence.
Until 1975, participation in the "battle" was paid. But in the end, first the monks, and then the city authorities, began to distribute tomato tools for free. After all, it paid off with the invasion of tourists in these places. The festival takes place in the city for a week. During this time, you can walk at the fair, parade in costumes and participate in the paella eating contest. And on Wednesday, at 11 o'clock in the afternoon, firecrackers are launched from the city hall. This serves as a signal for the start of the battle with tomatoes. The battle lasts exactly one hour. There are no special rules - you can launch a tomato at anyone who is nearby. The most important thing is to observe the unwritten norms of the festival. According to them, tomatoes cannot be crushed before throwing, as well as tearing clothes on another participant.
Food festivals held in different countries world, gather thousands of tourists who want to try gastronomic delights and learn the secrets of their preparation. The best chefs are usually honored to be part of such events and present their creations to guests. If you want your vacation to be not just good, but excellent, then you should find out in which countries, cities and at what time in the world the largest and most delicious gastronomic festivals take place.
St. Moritz Gourmet Festival
Location: St. Moritz, Switzerland
Date of: the last week January
Despite the fact that the festival is held at the end of January, the atmosphere is surprisingly light and warm. Michelin chefs are invited to the event, who are happy to share their knowledge and are always ready to answer any question of the most curious.
Bocuse d'Or
Location: Lyon, France
Date: January
It's not just a festival, it's a prestigious international competition haute cuisine, which has been held every two years since 1987. The best chefs from all over the world take part in this competition. For 1.5 years, 24 people have been selected to participate in the competition in 63 countries around the world. The main task of the Bocuse d’Or participants is to cook one fish and one meat dish in five hours. The winner receives a golden statuette and the title of the best chef of the five continents for 2 years.
Gourmet Abu Dhabi
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Date: February
Perhaps the most interactive festival of all presented. An abundance of master classes by culinary masters, interactive culinary shows, meetings with guest stars, breakfasts, lunches and dinners - all this awaits the guests of the holiday during the two weeks of the festival.
World Gourmet Summit
Location: Singapore
Date: April
The festival has been held annually for 17 years, and was organized by renowned chef, publisher and restaurant critic Peter Knipp. The most famous chefs from all over the world, sommeliers and restaurant business specialists are the participants of this bright event. All those who love haute cuisine will enjoy this festival with real masterpieces of culinary art.
Taste of Chicago
Location: Chicago, USA
Date: July
This is a summer international festival, considered the biggest culinary event in the Midwest. It passes within five days. During this short time, thousands of lovers of delicious food gather in Chicago. Participants of the event are representatives of the restaurant business in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and other cities.
Menton Lemon Festival
Location: Menton, France
Date: late February - early March
Citrus festival, the main characters of which are lemons. Despite the unusual theme, it attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. All guests of the festival try and evaluate new varieties of lemons, as well as taste drinks and sweets made from the “main king” of the holiday.
Flemish Food Fest
Location: Ghent, Belgium
Date: end of July
This festival is one of the most extraordinary, because it takes the form of a regular picnic. Only the food is not brought to it by the guests themselves, but by the best Flemish chefs. The festival was started by three Belgian chefs. The venue of the holiday is also unusual - in an abandoned warehouse pavilion.
M.A.D.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Date: end of August
A culinary extravaganza created by Noma chef and owner René Redzepi. The festival lasts for two weeks. The most famous restaurateurs, restaurant critics, professors, artists and many other interesting speakers are the "teachers" at this gourmet feast.
Gastronomy
Location: San Sebastian, Spain
Date: October
In Spain, this festival is held annually, is one of the largest and brings together representatives of international and Basque cuisine. This event was created, first of all, in order to make the gastronomic culture unified for all residents of the province of Gipuzkoa, in which San Sebastian is located. As part of the festival, the chefs of all the most famous local restaurants prepare the best dishes for their guests.
Festa a Vico
Location: Vico Equense, Italy
Date: first weekend of summer
Despite the fact that this festival is quite short and lasts only three days, a lot of events are held within its framework. interesting events. Guests of the holiday can take part in beach tastings, watch pizza making master classes and see chefs performing on the streets of the city.
Gelinaz!
Location: Worldwide
Date: follow on the official website
A grandiose culinary show organized by the association, which includes more than 20 world-famous chefs. Each year, one single recipe is selected, with which the participating chefs play and experiment. The show usually lasts more than 8 hours, and the number of guests is limited.
Alba International White Truffle Fair
Place: Italy
Date: October
The name of this festival is translated into Russian as "International White Truffle Festival". And this is not surprising, because the main tasting product here is the white truffle. As part of the festival, guests can visit an exhibition of gastronomic and wine products from the Piedmont region and many other city events.
Autumn is a traditional time for various festivals and celebrations. So, today in the United States is the Day of sweets, which is traditionally celebrated every third Saturday in October. The very tradition of celebrating the sweet holiday "Sweetest Day" originated back in 1922, when one of the workers of the confectionery factory decided to help orphans and poor people.
To do this, Herbert Kingston (namely, that was the name of the “goodwill ambassador”), together with his like-minded people, organized a free distribution of sweet gifts in order to somehow brighten up the days of the disadvantaged and suffering from poverty people.
During the organization of the first day of sweets, the famous movie star Anna Pennington donated sweet gifts to 2,200 Cleveland boys who earn their living by selling the press, as a reward for their work. However, on this day it is customary to give sweets not only to socially disadvantaged people, but to their loved ones, loved ones and relatives. The holiday is a great occasion to get a long-awaited box of sweet chocolate, which personifies friendship, respect and the personification of romantic feelings. On this beautiful sweet day, we decided to remember other food-related holidays.
So, for example, from October 20 to October 23 in Circleville, Ohio (USA) the Pumpkin Festival is traditionally held.
This bright holiday takes place every fall every year. This event is usually accompanied by a Pumpkin Show, the history of which goes back to the distant past. It is known that the very first pumpkin festival was held in Serqueville in 1903. At the time, it looked like a large fair and, according to preliminary data, attracted only 300,000 spectators. Today, this data is a hundred times more.
Interestingly, every day of the festival is dedicated to something. So, for example, the 5th day is dedicated to the parade of pets. During such an unusual event, each participant can try his hand at strength, dexterity, win a race or a grunt contest, as well as visit an exhibition of pumpkin figures and taste a pumpkin pie, which weighs 180 kg.
pumpkin house
July 11th is World Chocolate Day. But few people know that France is the birthplace of a sweet and high-calorie product. It was here in 1995 that the sweet chocolate holiday was invented.
On October 18, Turkey celebrates the day of oriental sweets and molasses. On this day, it is customary to give sweet delight, sherbet, baklava, halva and other oriental sweets to your loved ones.
Interestingly, the very word "candy" comes from a kind of pharmaceutical jargon. And that is exactly what at the beginning of the 16th century pharmacists called processed or candied fruits, which they used for the purpose of treatment. The composition of oriental sweets includes not only sugar, but also rose water made from rose petals.
On August 22, the Dominican Republic of Santo Domingo traditionally hosts the Santo Domingo Dulce Sweets Festival. On this day, the most famous confectioners come to the Dominican Republic, who start an open competition in the art of making confectionery. During the holiday, everyone can taste desserts, fresh pastries, sweets and other dishes made from sugar, mango and papaya.
During the May holidays in the exhibition center "EARLS COURT" in England there is a festival of English food.
During the May holidays in the exhibition center "EARLS COURT" in England there is a festival of English food. On this day, every visitor of the event can taste the food of various manufacturers and farm owners. Here you can taste apple chips, cheese, chocolate, sweets, flour products and other food products located on special stands. At the end of the holiday, guests can not only watch a master class on quick cooking, but also create their own culinary masterpiece from improvised products.
In February, the funniest holiday in Chinchilla, Australia, is called the Chinchilla Melon Watermelon Festival.
On this day, residents of the city and guests arrange a competition for the grandiose breaking of watermelons. At the same time, not only a competition is arranged for the number and speed of broken watermelons, but also for the method of their destruction, including watermelon skating and wrestling in a watermelon pile.
Culinary tourism is increasingly capturing the minds of travelers. Trying something exotic, national, colorful during a trip is always interesting. It's always an unforgettable experience. And for those who like to plunge into the cuisines of the peoples of the world, the tourist calendar offers an unprecedented variety.
Almost every month in different countries of the world there are holidays and festivals in honor of a particular product or dish. Forbes has compiled a mini-guide of the most interesting gastronomic festivals worth visiting.
Thorrablot Feast Festival (Iceland)
When: third Saturday of January - end of February
gastronomic festival Thorrablot Feast takes its name from an ancient Scandinavian festival. At the height of the month, which today is called January, and in the pre-Christian period was called Torri, the Vikings made sacrifices, accompanied by fun festivities. The first toast at the festival was dedicated to the god Thor, to say a few words in honor of which Thorrablot Feast is not forgotten today.
In the second half of the 19th century, Icelandic students decided to revive the festival, and at the same time remind fellow citizens of what real Viking cuisine is. Traditional dishes during the Thorrablot Feast are served in restaurants and small taverns throughout the country. Although not every European stomach can digest these dishes, it is still worth trying the mutton stomach stuffed with clotted sheep blood and lard, bull's eyes marinated and even sheep brain jelly. The highlight of the gastronomic program is hakarl - a dish of slightly rotten shark meat, which tastes like something between sturgeon and squid. It has an unbearable smell and costs at least €100 per serving. Thorrablot Feast serves free local potato vodka - brennyvin.
Wild Foods Festival (New Zealand)
When: 10th of March
The annual Wild Foods festival will be held in the New Zealand city of Hokitika for the 22nd time. The first, held in 1990, was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the city. The founder of the festival is considered to be a native of New Zealand, Claire Briant, who once treated her friends to wine from gorse flowers. Local entrepreneurs have developed a gastronomic idea and decided to organize an annual culinary weekend dedicated to rare dishes of New Zealand cuisine. The festival that grew out of them appealed to tourists, whose number in a small coastal town increases seven to eight times during Wild Foods.
What is annually treated to visitors of the gastronomic holiday, outwardly resembles sushi. But inside - worms, larvae, slugs, bull's eyes, crispy grasshoppers poured with sweet sauce and deep-fried shark meat. The specialty of the festival is smelt pies: small fish, the season of which is very limited in time, are considered a great delicacy in New Zealand. Those who make it to dessert can enjoy ice cream with wasp larvae. A ticket to the Wild Foods Festival costs NZ$30, and for another $15 you can go to a night of dancing.
Maple Syrup Festival (Canada)
When: March, April
Spring in Canada begins with the Maple Syrup Festival. Maple sap collection starts in the country from the end of February. Small holes are drilled in the trunks of trees that are already 30-50 years old, and buckets are hung from below. It takes 30-40 liters of juice to prepare one liter of syrup - that's how much one maple gives per season. The nationwide gathering lasts until the end of April, and at the same time maple festivals are held throughout Canada.
The first written mention of maple sap dates back to 1760. A refreshing drink was collected by local Indians, who then obtained sugar from it by evaporation. Today, the list of dishes that are prepared with or with maple syrup has expanded significantly, and many of them can be tasted at the Maple Syrup Festival. In addition to the classic use of syrup, when they are poured over pancakes or waffles, soup with vegetables is prepared on its basis, chicken thighs are marinated, and the famous sugar pie without a crust is baked.
A special program of the festival is annually prepared by the Wheelers Maple Maple Syrup Museum, which conducts master classes in cooking syrup and tasting the prepared syrup.
Roast Pig Festival (Philippines)
When: June 24
Roast piglets are a traditional and very popular dish in the Philippines. Therefore, every year on June 24, when Catholics around the world celebrate the day of John the Baptist, the Filipinos arrange their holiday - the Lechon Parade. The word lechon in the Philippines refers to a whole roasted pig.
Preparations for the holiday begin classically. Carcasses of suckling pigs are marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar and spices, and stuffed with tamarind and pandan leaves. Then the piglets are roasted on a spit, but after cooking they are not eaten, but dressed up in various costumes and carried on the shoulders through the streets of the city. At the parade, you can see piglets in wedding and evening dresses, in national clothes and even in boxing shorts or in the form of pilots of the "Formula 1". Only after the festive procession, the pigs are "exposed" and served at the table, where everyone can enjoy them.
The suckling pig in the Philippines is considered not only a favorite dish, but also a great gift. For example, it can be presented to newlyweds at a wedding.
Mango Festival (India)
When: July 7-8
If the national animal of India is the Bengal tiger, and the flower is the lotus, then the main fruit is unconditionally considered the mango. An ancient legend says that after eating a mango, the Buddha, who had previously been in thought, ordered to bury his bone in the indicated place. After that, a sprout immediately appeared from the ground, and then a beautiful tree strewn with ripe fruits. Since then, mango has become a sacred plant for India, symbolizing health and abundance.
The annual mango harvest reaches 9.5 million tons, and for $ 1 in the Indian bazaar you can buy about two kilograms of this fruit. A large-scale harvest of mangoes begins in late June - early July, and at the same time a festival is held in New Delhi in his honor, where farmers from different states of India come to bring grown mangoes of various varieties with them. Some fruits are comparable in size to a chicken egg, while others are more like melons. Guests can participate in mango tastings, which are usually free of charge, as well as compete in high-speed fruit eating. Also within the framework of the festival there is a competition among housewives for the best mango recipe.
Gooseberry Festival (England)
When: August 7
In no other European country, perhaps, such attention was paid to gooseberries as in England. Some sources believe that this berry was known to the British as early as the 13th century, during the reign of King Edward I. Others claim that the first information about the cultivation of gooseberries dates back to 1548. In any case, if in medieval Germany gooseberry bushes primarily served as solid hedges, then in England the berry was cultivated and eaten.
Today, the British pay tribute to the traditions of their ancestors by holding a gooseberry festival on the first Tuesday of August in North Yorkshire. The main participants in the holiday are gardeners: they gather in the church of St. Hedda and find out whose gooseberries are tastier, more beautiful, and most importantly, larger. The tradition of finding the heaviest berry goes back to the 19th century. Like two centuries ago, the weight of berries is measured on a pharmacy scale, and the units of measurement are drachmas and grains. The last time the winning gooseberry was the size of a golf ball.
RoadKill Cook-Off Festival (USA)
When: September 29
While some prefer to try oysters or marbled beef steaks, others are not averse to tasting dishes from animals killed on the road. Compete in cooking, and then eat a stew from a possum or a raccoon who died under the wheels is offered by the annual RoadKill Cook-Off festival. According to the rules, participants must come to the gastronomic festival with the corpse of an animal found on the road, all the necessary utensils and ingredients for the future dish. Everyone can watch the cooking process, but a special jury is taken to evaluate the dish (and not only in taste, but in appearance). Not so long ago, the organizers of the festival came up with a new rule: dishes from the meat of animals found on the side of the road should look like they were just taken out from under the wheels of a truck. The winner of the RoadKill Cook-Off receives $300 as a prize. By the way, those who are late to the festival, but still decide to taste a dish from an animal that died on the road, do not have to wait a whole year. So, in the menu of the American The Roadkill Café, located in the city of Seligman, Arizona, you can find a steak called "Dead Deer", fried ribs "Raccoon Trap" or "Chicken that almost crossed the road."
Sony Pine Mushroom Festival ( South Korea)
When: end of September - beginning of October
Sonya mushrooms are among the delicacy mushrooms, only truffles are ahead. They grow in pine forests on Mount Chilbosan, whose name translates as "mountain of seven wonders", and are known for their high price - up to 300,000 won ($265) per kilogram. Because of this, mushrooms have even been dubbed "forest diamonds." In 2007, the first meeting in 15 years between the heads of government of the DPRK and the Republic of Korea began with a discussion of Sony mushrooms, and Kim Jong Il gave his South Korean counterpart a rare gift - four tons of freshly picked pine mushrooms.
Dormouse ripens in autumn, and at the same time, a festival is held in their honor in the South Korean county of Yangyang (South Korea). The collection of pine mushrooms, which grow only in the wild, is strictly controlled by the state, and only once a year do locals and tourists get the opportunity to participate in a “silent hunt” for Sonya. For the pleasure of wandering through the pine forest with a basket, you will have to pay from 13,000 won ($11.5) for a child ticket to 18,000 won ($16) for an adult ticket. Also at the festival you can try various dishes with pine mushrooms and purchase medicines that include Sony.
Marunada Chestnut Festival (Croatia)
When: annually three weekends in October
The word "maroon" has different meanings in different countries. In Jamaica, for example, "maroons" were called freedom fighters who repelled attacks by British colonial troops. And in Croatia, this is the name of the local variety of chestnuts, which is considered one of the best in the world. Once upon a time, sailors from Lovran brought chestnuts from their travels to the East, which they then crossed with domestic varieties. This is how the maroons appeared, which gave the name to the Marunada festival, held annually since 1973.
Autumn is traditionally considered the time of ripening and harvesting chestnuts. In Croatia, the Marunada festival starts in October. The gastronomic holiday originates in the small town of Lovran, and the next weekend the celebrations are transferred to the villages of Dobrech and Ligan. The main action at the festival is the tasting of maroons. In addition to roasted chestnuts, which are cooked outdoors and sold in paper bags, local chefs add them to meat and fish, cook soups and sauces from them, and prepare salads. A special place is given to sweets - sweets, cakes, mousses and even maroon soufflé, more precisely, from maroon flour, which the Croatian poor learned to replace the usual one in the Middle Ages.