World's Finest Food Festivals

FESTIVALS World’s Finest Food

By Tim Johnson

TASTING AUSTRALIA

Taking place in Adelaide, a lovely riverside city wedged between two of Australia’s premier wine regions (Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale), this annual event in late March brings together the best food and drink options from across South Australia.

KANGAROO ISLAND ©TASTING AUSTRALIA AIRLINES

Browsing food, craft beer, and local wine at the festival hub, Town Square, is a highlight, but this 10-day event also offers a broad variety of other activities.

For example, Tasting Australia Airlines spirits participants on day and overnight culinary trips that include shucking fresh oysters by the blue waters of Coffin Bay, or sampling everything from honey and cheese or seafood on Kangaroo Island.

And you can learn a thing or two by taking one of the festival’s master classes tasting wine, beer, and spirits.

HAWAI’I FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

Food, wine, and cocktails always taste better when you consume them in paradise. Spanning three islands – Maui, Oahu, and the island of Hawai’i – this annual festival, held in October, reflects the food and drink transformation that has swept across the state, putting fresh, local ingredients on the plates of visitors and locals alike.

HAWAI’I FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL

©REID SHIMABUKURO

Bringing together more than 150 chefs and culinary and beverage experts, the event celebrates the surprising diversity of gastronomical influences that have impacted this place, from Portugal to Asia (and beyond).

Dine on slow-cooked, local beef in Honolulu, taste Iberian treats in Waikoloa Beach, then put your feet in the sand, sip craft cocktails and dine on signature dishes from 13 internationally recognized chefs, right on the beach at Kaanapali, finishing dessert just in time for the fireworks.

PIZZA FEST

This is a place that loves its pizza – born in Naples in the 18th century, legends hold that the dish really got a boost after Queen Margherita visited the city in the 19th century and chose a pie comprised of mozzarella, basil and tomato (the colours of the Italian flag).

Now, thousands come here to southern Italy in September for Pizza Fest, where you can sample other traditional recipes at a long line of stone ovens. Try tossing a little dough while learning to create your best pie at a variety of culinary workshops.

ITALIAN MARGHERITA PIZZA

SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL

In this island-city state, the standard greeting in Singapore is “Have you eaten?” Everything from Indian to Chinese delicacies are served up steaming at thousands of tiny stalls in hawker centres across the island, something celebrated in the recent movie, Crazy Rich Asians.

STICKY RICE WRAPPED IN BAMBOO

And at Singapore’s annual food festival, this culinary obsession is pursued in earnest. Attend events where local chefs serve up staples like chili crab and kaya toast. Sample foods at STREAT, which brings together some of the city’s finest hawker fare to a single spot along Marina Boulevard.

Take a drink

While food is important, it’s even better when you have a fine glass of something to wash it down. Sample more than 400 rums at RumFest, an annual event in London. Or sip a bouquet of botanicals at Gin World in Washington, D.C. Beer lovers will want to check out Montreal’s Beer Fest, for a chance to sample some 500 brews.

BARRELS OF RUM