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Grab Your Plate and Passport – These Food Festivals are Worth Travelling For

What makes food festivals worth attending? Is it a unique product locally produced, the sweetest of treats, or just the thrill of trying something new?

Whatever the reason, there are certain events that stand out from the crowd and catch the eye of even the most casual festival goer.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best food festivals around the globe. So grab your passport and jet off to one of the locations below for a truly delectable experience.

Melbourne Food & Wine Festival – Melbourne, Australia


With more than 200 events, the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is sure to satisfy your culinary curiosity. Held every March, the 10-day festival showcases the best food and wine south-eastern Australia has to offer.

As well as sampling an abundance of dishes, there are also several workshops hosted by renowned chefs, something that is sure to inspire your inner culinary artist.

The highlight of the festival is perhaps the world’s longest lunch, where diners savour a 3-course meal along a 530-metre table that stretches along the stunning coastline.

The popular festival also boasts live entertainment, themed food crawls, wine tastings and dining experiences prepared by international chefs. The next festival will begin on 31st March 2018.

Salon Du Chocolat – Paris, France


With its rich history, the Salon du Chocolat is a taste of true heavenly delight for chocolate lovers.

Held annually in Paris since 1922, the festival features chocolate tastings, chocolate-making workshops, a pastry show, a chocolate bookshop, a chocolate award show, and even a fashion show where the clothes are made from – you guessed it – chocolate.

Curious chocolate lovers can also learn about the production and rituals involved in chocolate making – absolute heaven! This year’s festival will be held from the 28th October to the 1st of November at Porte De Versailles in Paris, France.

Galway Oyster & Seafood Festival – Galway, Ireland


Staying closer to home with the Galway Oyster & Seafood Festival, one that is not to be missed. Held every September since 1954, this seafood extravaganza is the oldest oyster festival in the world.

As well as sampling the wide array of seafood on offer, the festival is also home to the Irish and World Oyster Opening or ‘shucking’ Championships, which are held over the weekend.

Live entertainment, street parades, seafood trails, flowing champagne and rich Irish seafood make the Galway Oyster & Seafood Festival a must-visit. While there are many free events during the festival, a ticket to the opening night will set you back €40.

The Great Food Festival – Singapore


Don’t let Singapore’s small size fool you because this little island is home some truly incredible food. This year, a new culinary collaboration between Resorts World Singapore and Savour, which is known for its annual food festivals, is sure to treat food lovers.

From the 21st to 24th of September, The Great Food Festival will showcase Singapore’s most expansive array of culinary delights all in one place.

With more than 100 signature dishes from Michelin-starred and award-winning restaurants to choose from, along with over 300 desserts and 40 international culinary celebrities, this really is a festival not to be missed. The Great Food Festival is a new initiative, but we’re sure it’ll be around for many years to come.

The Alba White Truffle Market – Alba, Italy

Venture to the small north western Italian town of Piedmontese to experience the Alba White Truffle Market. Every year from early October to mid-November, hundreds of eager tasters flock to this quiet town, drawn by the earthy aroma of white truffles.

From cooking demonstrations and wine tastings to truffle sensory analyses, this little festival is a truly unique experience.

Among the thousands of products available to taste and buy are wines, liqueurs, cheeses, Piedmontese hazelnuts, Cuneo chestnuts, mushrooms and truffles. This year’s festival takes place from October 8th to November 27th.

Wildfoods Festival – Hokitika, New Zealand


New Zealand’s Wildfoods Festival is a celebration of some of the most unique and creative dishes in the world.

Attendees at the Hokitika festival can sample a wide range of dishes, from seagull eggs and mountain oysters to earthworms, possum cutlets and fried grasshoppers.

Don’t worry, if you’re not up for sampling some crocodile nibbles, there are some more normal dishes on offer, including smoked salmon, whitebait patties and snails in garlic.

The next Wildfoods Festival will be held on March 10th, 2018 and is definitely worth attending if you’re feeling adventurous.

Naples Pizza Festival – Naples, Italy

Food Festivals
In the birthplace of pizza, the annual Naples Pizza Festival takes place in the city’s Caracciolo Lungomare area.

The festival serves 50 classic pizzas with Napolitana, Margherita and Marinara proving to be very popular. Attractions during the festival vary from the World Pizza Making Championship to dough-throwing contests.

The 2017 festival took place in June, but this is definitely one for pizza lovers to put in their planners for next year.

Spain Seafood Festival – Galicia, Spain

Food Festivals
Taking place every October since 1963, the Spain Seafood Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

This seafood lover’s paradise is held in a small picturesque fishing community in Galicia that’s almost completely surrounded by water.

During the festival in O Grove, visitors can enjoy seafood rice dishes, clams, oysters and baked scallops. The seafood festival also holds some exciting events, such as Best Crab and Best Mussel Dish competitions and a unique shellfish parade.

Taste Festivals Worldwide

Taste Festivals began in London back in 2004 and have since grown to include 19 locations around the world.

With food prepared by the city’s greatest restaurants and world famous chefs, culinary lovers can eat, drink and enjoy themselves to their heart’s content.

With locations from Germany and Italy to Australia and Dubai, there’s likely to be a Taste Festival near you. This month, there are festivals in Munich and Sao Paulo.

FEATURE BY SARAH GLASCOTT

Sarah has always had a great love of travel, food and photography. Following her journalism degree at DCU, she developed a passion for travel writing while living in Spain.

Sarah loves exploring new places and sampling the local cuisine. Working with TheTaste.ie combines her love of food and travel.

Sarah Glascott Sarah Glascott
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