A Taste of Food & Wine: Part I

With so much good food to be found at the International Food and Wine Festival it can be very difficult to decide which dishes to try. As you walk around World Showcase and look at the menus of the various international marketplaces you want to be able to try everything, and the pleasant aromas that fill the air only add to the temptation. Of course, it would cost way too much money to try every item that the festival has to offer and that is why it is best to decide which of those dishes interest you the most. Over the course of the festival I will continually be providing reviews of a variety of dishes found at the different international marketplaces, hopefully helping you to decide which items you would like to try most.

Beef and Corn Pie (Chile)


I am not sure whether I would actually call this a pie. It was more like chili topped with pureed corn. Nevertheless, I was very happy with both the size and taste of this dish and felt that I got my money’s worth for $3.75. The pureed corn adds an interesting texture to the dish with the spiciness of the beef and the sweetness of the corn presenting a nice contrast in flavor, but also blending together very well.

Dark Chocolate Sensation (Desserts & Champagne)


This dessert was only $1.50, but even for this price I felt that the portion size was very small; the entire thing could be eaten in just one or two bites. While the dessert was very chocolaty, I felt that the cake was a little dry. The chocolate mousse, however, was nice and moist, sweet, and smooth. My recommendation would be that if you are going to get one of the desserts from this stand you might as well try all three items because it is the best value getting you the most food for your money.

Roasted Corn and Cheese Empanada (Argentina)


One common critique I hear about the Food and Wine Festival is that there are not many selections for vegetarians, but I have noticed an increase in the number of options available this year. In fact, each of the marketplace menus now includes a special symbol denoting those items not featuring any meat. The Corn and Cheese Empanada in Argentina is great for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. I was very happy with the size of the empanada and felt that for $2.75 it was a good value. While it was a little spicy, it was not overwhelming. The crust was very light and flaky, crispy along the edges but still soft in the middle. The flavors of the corn and cheese blended together very well.

Medianoche Sandwich (Puerto Rico)


This item seemed very similar to a Cuban sandwich, but it was still very good nonetheless. The bread was nicely toasted and crispy with a very light, slightly sweet, flavor. For $2.75 I thought this was a very good value, especially because there was a lot of meat in the sandwich. I am not a big fan of pickles and was a little hesitant to try this dish when I found out they came on the sandwich. However, the flavor of the pickles blended very well with the other flavors of the sandwich and did not overpower them at all.

Golabki (Poland)


One stigma of the Food and Wine Festival marketplaces is that the portion sizes are too small, but this year I have found that many of the dishes provide good value for your money. The Golabki in Poland for $2.75 is one such example. I was impressed by the amount of sausage stuffing that came inside the cabbage. That being said, I did notice a little variance in portion size with some Golabki appearing much larger than others. The sausage itself was not too spicy, but had just enough of a kick to lend some additional flavor to the dish. The cabbage was tender, but not mushy, and had a very mild flavor that paired well with the sausage.

Xinjiang Barbecue Chicken Stick (China)


While the chicken may seem somewhat plain in appearance, it actually has a lot of flavor and is very spicy. The chicken itself was nice and tender and was slightly crispy on the outside, but still moist inside. The chicken was grilled and a little charred, not burnt, just enough to add some extra flavor. It may not be the best value at the festival for $3.75, but you still get a good amount of chicken for your money.