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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Indulge/  Food-trotting the globe in April
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Food-trotting the globe in April

From New Year celebrations in parts of India and Thailand to a prawn festival half way across the globe in Ireland

The Songkran festival that is celebrated all over Thailand is a blend of traditional and fun activities stretching over three days. Photo: Wikimedia CommonsPremium
The Songkran festival that is celebrated all over Thailand is a blend of traditional and fun activities stretching over three days.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

From New Year celebrations in parts of India and Thailand to a prawn festival half way across the globe in Ireland, April has a lot to offer to a hardcore foodie. Here’s a look at the food festivals across the world in April.

Starkbierfest—The Strong Beer Festival

Munich, Germany | 21 March–6 April

Starkbier = strong beer. If you like stouts, this festival is for you. According to information on the official website, ‘‘Bavarian rulers began joining in the tapping of the first starkbier kegs in the early 1700s and the first public beer festival was in 1751," which makes this festival nearly 300 years old. The locals fondly call this beer Flüssiges Brot, or liquid bread, as it helps them get through the 40 days of Lent. Stout lovers will love the Salvator beer at Nockherberg, a strong beer with 7.5% alcohol. During this fest, the Salvator stout is served in 1-litre jugs called keferloher.

This is celebrated in breweries across Munich, accompanied by lots of good food and fun.

Click here for more details.

Poteet Strawberry Festival

Poteet, near San Antonio, Texas, US | 4-6 April

To promote the premier Poteet strawberries, this festival has been on for more than six decades and is now a major tourist attraction. Apart from showcasing local berry growers and berries, it also has a parade with local and international music artists lined up for entertainment. There’s also the Texas food show that generates scholarships for local students.

Click here for more details.

Vinitaly

Verona, Italy | 6-9 April

A must-not-miss festival for wine enthusiasts and professionals, this wine exhibition has been on annually for the last 40 years. It promises to give you a wine trip around the world in four days. This is a sure-shot way to experience everything about Italian wines, including professional tastings, wine pairing and top-notch cuisine. It takes place in the town of Verona, made famous by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Free tastings, huge varieties of wine on display, courses and seminars are sure to interest a wine geek or enough to turn an amateur into a wine geek.

Click here for more details.

Songkran

Thailand | 13-15 April

The Songkran festival that is celebrated all over Thailand is a blend of traditional and fun activities stretching over three days. Derived from the word Sankranti, the highlight of the festival is water fights, similar to Holi but not much colour play. Tourists often plan their visit around this event so that they can take part in the festivities.

Traditional Thai dishes such as Pad Thai, Kâao Châe, green curry and coconut-rice pancakes are some of the dishes that are served almost all around the country on these national holidays.

Click here for more details.

New year celebrations

Several parts of India | 14-15 April

Tamil New Year/Vishu/Baisakhi/Poila Baisakh/Bihu all fall on 14 or 15 April this year. Whether it’s Pitha (rice cakes) in Assam and West Bengal or Sadya in Kerala or Payasam in Tamil Nadu, you’ll get to savour the best of traditional fare in these parts of the country, where people are ushering in the traditional new year.

Bayonne Ham Fair

Bayonne, France | 17-20 April

If you ask the French about their favourite ham, the answer is sure to be the Jambon de Bayonne. This dried and salted ham originates from the port city of Bayonne in south-west France. Bayonne ham has GI— Geographical Indication—status, which means that there are strict rules to comply with and a defined geography from which it must be produced to be called Jambon de Bayonne.

This ancient festival has been in existence since 1492. The village folk of Bayonne have been putting together a fair centered on their prized hams since then. It’s a great opportunity to taste and buy this special ham straight from the artisanal producers. In addition to ham, other special food items such as cheese, honey, ciders and preserves are also on sale. Musical bands add to the festive ambience.

Click here for more details.

Dublin Bay Prawn Festival

Dublin, Ireland | 25-27 April

This is a unique food festival dedicated to prawns, so if you love eating these crustaceans, this food fest is right up your alley. This has a food village replete with food stalls, tasting sessions of high-quality seafood and local produce, and showcasing food from the top-class local artisans and restaurants. Other fun stuff includes prawn-shelling competitions, wine tasting and cooking demonstrations. Evenings in Howth Harbour have more activities such as the Mystery Dine Around and special festival menus in pubs and restaurants. Fireworks at the harbour at night and musical entertainment in the pubs all make this a fun event.

Click here for more details.

Nuremberg Spring Festival—Frühlingsfest

Nuremberg, Germany | 25 April-11 May

Considered a sister to the hugely popular Oktoberfest, the spring festival is a traditional opening to the festive season. Held in funfair grounds near Dutzendteich Lake, there are beer gardens, festival halls, rides and huge flea markets to entertain kids and adults of all ages. There are also street performance competitions and vintage car displays, among other things. The agenda for 2014 includes a haunted castle and a ride in the steam train Wonderland Express from 1924. More than one million visitors come to this festival to enjoy the beer tents, rides and good food.

Click here for more details.

A doctor turned nutritional consultant, culinary trainer, food writer and columnist, who’s learning to grow the foods she likes to eat, Nandita Iyer lives in Bangalore and is mom to a five-year-old gourmand son.

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Published: 28 Mar 2014, 08:32 AM IST
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