It’s time to start the parade of incredible food from Disney’s Epcot this year. Sometimes trying new things can be a little scary, but if you have the opportunity (and have other safe foods handy just in case) plan trying loads of flavors with a food adventure to Epcot’s World Food Festival.
Yes, as you’ll see over the next few posts, I ate a LOT of food this particular 3-day weekend. You might think there would be at least one thing I just didn’t like…but no. I liked some flavors better than others, but there wasn’t a single one where I turned up my nose. First let’s look at how I planned…just in case you wanna try something similar next year!
The World Food Adventure
Epcot showcases at least 11 countries and their culture and food every day of the week. But once a year, they add more countries for the World Food Festival. Since I don’t ride a lot of rides, I normally do a lot of walking and book reading and people watching while the rest of my crew rides. To be fair, they’ve got it down to a pretty quick science but still not always as much fun for me.
But this year, this event? This one was for ME! My husband pulled the list of offerings early so I could plan my choices. Then on the plane, I took a map of Epcot and marked where I would find those foods. Within 5 hours, when we were headed to the next park, I had tried a total of 11 foods! My planning paid off! (Here‘s where we found the food listed…looks like maybe they use the same page each year so check back if you plan to go next year)
Here’s the ABC’s…Australia, Brazil and Canada
Who could turn down “shrimp on the barbie” from Australia? This Grilled Sweet-and-Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with pineapple, pepper, onion and snap peas was SO tasty. The red spice really made it (maybe cayenne or paprika? I couldn’t identify it). My tasting buddy had the roasted lamb chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies…I just wasn’t brave enough…the mint on meat scares me. I do want to try lamb sometime though.
Since some friends were missionaries in Brazil for several years, I was anxious to try Feijoada. While traditionally made with the meat parts most of us would throw away, this version simply had salt pork on top. What I liked most though was the savory spice of the black beans and rice. Gonna need to make that at home! (Most folks know about the Brazilian cheese bread now as it’s readily available frozen at Costco and some other stores.)
Then we finished the day with my friend’s favorite…frozen apple pie. Nice light sweet treat that’s always available back in Epcot’s Canadian Apple orchard. The gardens alone in this area were worth the walk! But that was ONLY the ABC’s…there’s more!
A taste of Europe
Our friend Debbie (hostess for the weekend) had picked out some favorites earlier and wanted to return to Germany for the Schinkennudeln. Because I was trying to limit my exposure to my trigger foods (like dairy and gluten), I passed on this Pasta Gratin with ham, onions, and cheese. But Debbie loved it enough to come back for more. There’s a taste for everyone!
One side of my dad’s family was German and the other side was Moravian (part of the old Czechoslovakia). Anyone from that whole are would tell you SAUSAGE is key! I got my sausage fix in Ireland with Colcannon potatoes (mashed potatoes with cabbage) in an onion gravy. I had always wanted to try Colcannon…and now that I know I like the bite of the cabbage included, I’ll be looking to make this myself.
And then there were wings…
I consider wings to be American, but the two we tried did have an international flair.
The Sticky Wings with Peanut Sauce and Grape Gel made me think PB&J, but in the end these didn’t remind me of PB&J at all…simply Thai peanut flavor with just a little sweetness. The only thing I would have added is a some spicy heat!
And then of course with my husband’s love for Italian, we tried the Garlic-Parmesan Wings as well. I DID decide to try these even though they had cheese, and they were delicious. Next time, I hoping they’ll still have the Sriracha-Lime and Dry-Rubbed Jerk-Spiced Wings with Papaya Chili Sauce. Just not enough time or room for all the flavors today.
And yes, I still ate supper!
It wasn’t ethnic or even in Epcot though. We spent the afternoon at Hollywood Studios and had supper at the Prime Time Café (like Mama’s house). While the Old-Fashioned Pot Roast I had (along with Carrots, Celery, and Onions and a side of Roasted Garlic-Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy) was tasty, the atmosphere is what we really came for. So fun the way the servers interacted with everyone: commenting on elbows on the table, who ate their vegetables, etc. And I got the clean plate award…a sticker of Lady and the Tramp enjoying their spaghetti dinner!
Good thing I love to walk…
…or they might have had to roll me home! I’ve covered a lot here, but that was only half of it. So, yes, I did still do a lot of walking just to keep the old metabolism going. And no, I didn’t eat a full serving of most things. The point was simply to enjoy tasting things I’d never had…and enjoy I did!
Any of these flavors spark YOUR interest? Tell me which ones you’ve had and loved OR the ones you’d LIKE to try in the comments below!
Wanna see what food adventures I had at Disney last year? Here they are!
