Around this time of year, there's something extra special in the air around Walt Disney World. Something that just fills me with excitement and joy and magic. Really, one might say that this is the most wonderful time of year. What? Did you say it was too early for Christmas? Of course it is - I'm talking about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival!
Every year, dozens of kiosks pop up around the World Showcase Promenade offering sample-sized plates of food and drink from various regions and cultures. If you've never been, this is definitely an event not to be missed if you enjoy food and are willing to be a little daring from time to time. This was my first trip this year to the Festival, and I plan to make a second stop in next week, so there will be even more reporting back. Additionally, if I can get my hands on a recipe or two, you can be sure you'll see them up here on the blog post haste! Now, on with the show!
Terra: Chocolate-Blood Orange Cupcake with Tofu Icing
I know what a good number of you are probably thinking: tofu icing? That sounds awful! Honestly, this vegan cupcake from the veggie-friendly Terra marketplace was pretty decent - rich in chocolate flavor and very dense. The icing was fairly decent, also fairly rich, though the texture was just a little... off. Maybe a little too solid. Not my favorite thing that I tried, but still worth a nibble if you want to try to wander over to the vegetarian side.
"CraB'less Crab Cake" with Pepper Slaw and Cajun Remoulade
That's right - I got two items from the vegan marketplace. It sounds pretty crazy coming from me, but it's true. The "crab" cake featured here was fairly moist and tasted all right, but mainly seemed like something akin to a savory bread pudding or the like - not really much that makes it a "crab" cake, per se. The remoulade added a bit of zip, and the pepper slaw was enjoyable, but nothing to write home about.
Patagonia: Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree
I'm not 100% a carnivore, but I will tell you - I was pretty happy to see some meat at this point, and this was a great item to start that off with. The beef was extremely tender and nicely marinated, and the chimichurri sauce added very nicely to the flavor. The boniato puree was nice, though it could basically be summed up as "somewhat like mashed potatoes" - worked well for the dish, but nothing exciting there.
Patagonia: Roasted Verlasso Salmon with Quinoa Salad and Arugula Chimichurri
The salmon in this item was cooked perfectly - very flaky without losing the slightly fatty moisture that makes for a good salmon. The quinoa salad was fairly good - nutty with a bit of freshness from the vegetables mixed therein. The chimichurri was very similar to that of the beef skewer - quite delicious, though I was expecting the arugula to shine through a little more.
Farm Fresh: Griddled "Yard Bird" with Braised Greens and House-made Habanero Sauce
This item from the former Florida Fresh Marketplace was one of my favorites that I tried on this particular visit. The "yard bird" is chicken - to be specific, a griddled chicken thigh with beautifully crisp skin and moist, juicy meat. The habanero sauce was just a shade more spicy than your standard buffalo sauce. The braised greens were just what they said on the tin: and I happen to be very fond of greens - definitely a hit with me!
China: Beijing Roasted Duck in a Steamed Bun with Hoisin Sauce
They've had the steamed buns for the past few years at the Food and Wine Festival, and I love them. They're almost like slightly sweet pillows of bread on which delicious items are placed. The roasted duck is new this year, and definitely doesn't disappoint - tender, shredded duck covered in a rich hoisin sauce. It's nothing too terribly adventurous, but it certainly is tasty.
South Korea: Roasted Pork Lettuce Wrap with Kimchi Slaw
This item is an old favorite of mine. It has been around the Festival for quite a few years now, and I'd be a bit sorry to see it go. The roasted pork is extremely tender and juicy, with a very rich, savory flavor that is very well offset by the bright flavors of the kimchi slaw and lettuce wrap. Definitely a don't miss.
South Korea: iCing Grapefruit Sparkling Rice Brew
This was an interesting item - akin to the grapefruit beer served over in the Germany Pavilion, the drink is very refreshing, though the rice gives it a very slightly creamy consistency that contrasts with your usual expectations of a brewed grain drink.
Italy: Filetto di Pollo con Funghi al Marsala
This was a somewhat disappointing item. It was a fairly decent chicken marsala, lacking a bit of salt. The chicken was cooked nicely, and the bread worked well for sopping up the remaining sauce, but overall, a tad bit lackluster.
Hops & Barley: Baked Lobster Alfredo
Delicious lobster? Check. Creamy macaroni and cheese (Alfredo, technically, but there was macaroni and there was cheese)? Check. Crispy breadcrumb topping? Check. Favorite new item from the Hops & Barley Marketplace? Double check. If you love any one of the above things, this is most definitely a must try.
France: Tartelette aux Escargots
For many years, the France Marketplace had chopped escargots in small brioches. Very tasty, but one could not get the texture of the escargots from it, which always disappointed me, as I had not tried to eat snails before. This year, the tartelette features larger chunks of escargots, so I finally got a good taste/feel for what these somewhat strange delicacies are like. I must say, I quite enjoyed them! They were extremely tender, not entirely unlike a good scallop, and covered in a delicious garlic butter sauce. of course, the whole thing is topped with spinach and bacon and placed in a nice pastry crust, so - yet another must try!
Ireland: Warm Chocolate Pudding with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard
The last three items on this list are old standards of the Food and Wine Festival. First up, we take our dessert course. The warm chocolate pudding is not what Americans think of when they hear the word "pudding." This is far more like a dense, slightly undercooked cake with a rich chocolate flavor, and topped with a creamy sauce that is a must-have for any fan of Irish cream.
Ireland: Lobster and Scallop Fisherman's Pie
To compliment our warm chocolate pudding, we also picked up the lobster and scallop fisherman's pie. If you like seafood, this is most certainly an item you're going to want to pick up, as it contains large chunks of lobster and scallop, all mixed in with mashed potatoes and a slightly peppery cream sauce.
Canada: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
For our last item, we hit an old favorite: Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup (which I posted the recipe for recently). This was Tabby's first time having the blessed savory liquid, and she was most definitely not disappointed, even with the massive amounts of hype I put on this item. With a slightly peppery flavor from the sharp Black Diamond cheese, and nice little bits of celery, onion, and bacon throughout, as the Festival winds into the cooler months, this is a must have for warm your belly.
Well, that's it for our first trip around the Food and Wine Festival! Did I miss a favorite of yours, or do you disagree with my opinions on one of the items? Let me know in the comments! And until next time, stay magical!
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