World’s best food festivals: 14 places for the true foodie to go eat

By John Malathronas, for CNN
8 minute read
Updated 4:58 PM EDT, Wed June 7, 2017
Hardcore food fans deserve hardcore food festivals. Quito's Salon de Chocolate isn't the world's only festival devoted to cocoa bean creations, but as the leading producer of high-quality chocolate, it's probably the best.
Salon de Chocolate (Quito, Ecuador) —
Hardcore food fans deserve hardcore food festivals. Quito's Salon de Chocolate isn't the world's only festival devoted to cocoa bean creations, but as the leading producer of high-quality chocolate, it's probably the best.
Eduardo Flores/Agencia Andes
Porridge -- and skirts for men, obviously -- is what made Scotland great. Not to be enjoyed while sitting down, if it's to be enjoyed at all.
Annual Golden Spurtle (Cairngorms, Scotland) —
Porridge -- and skirts for men, obviously -- is what made Scotland great. Not to be enjoyed while sitting down, if it's to be enjoyed at all.
Fergus Thom/Golden Spurtle
It takes cojones to try some of the dishes on offer at this celebration of the planet's more unusual foodstuffs.
Wildfoods Festival (Hokitika, New Zealand) —
It takes cojones to try some of the dishes on offer at this celebration of the planet's more unusual foodstuffs.
Courtesy Eli Duke/Flickr
Probably not the ideal choice for a first date. Unless Bern announces an annual mouthwash festival to run alongside.
The Onion Market (Bern, Switzerland) —
Probably not the ideal choice for a first date. Unless Bern announces an annual mouthwash festival to run alongside.
Courtesy Switzerland Tourism
The only place in England where this kind of thing is considered good manners.
Watercress Festival (Hampshire, England) —
The only place in England where this kind of thing is considered good manners.
Courtesy Watercress Festival
The Boss Hog of pork-related revels, this January event explores everything culinarily conceivable with pigs.
Bacon Festival (Sacramento, California) —
The Boss Hog of pork-related revels, this January event explores everything culinarily conceivable with pigs.
Courtesy Sacremento Bacon Festival
Why so blue? Because it contains dasheen, a variety of taro that turns that color when cooked.
Blue Food Festival (Bloody Bay, Tobago) —
Why so blue? Because it contains dasheen, a variety of taro that turns that color when cooked.
Courtesy Visit Tobago
Fries, gravy and cheese curds. Doesn't look great, but 35 million Canadians can't be wrong.
PoutineFest (Ottawa, Canada) —
Fries, gravy and cheese curds. Doesn't look great, but 35 million Canadians can't be wrong.
Courtesy PoutineFest
Ardeche is France's biggest producer of chestnuts, a status it celebrates with this annual festival.
Castagnades chestnut festival (Ardeche, France) —
Ardeche is France's biggest producer of chestnuts, a status it celebrates with this annual festival.
Courtesy Castagnades
Zongzi dumplings consumed on this day in June consist of glutinous rice with varied fillings.
Dumpling Festival (Hong Kong) —
Zongzi dumplings consumed on this day in June consist of glutinous rice with varied fillings.
Derrick Chang/CNN
This week-long cherry celebration in July offers pit-spitting competitions, pie-baking contests, a Grand Cherry Parade and the crowning of a Cherry Queen.
National Cherry Festival (Traverse City, Michigan) —
This week-long cherry celebration in July offers pit-spitting competitions, pie-baking contests, a Grand Cherry Parade and the crowning of a Cherry Queen.
Courtesy National Cherry Festival/Flickr
At least 50 different types of pizza are available. Possibly even with anchovies.
Pizzafest (Naples, Italy) —
At least 50 different types of pizza are available. Possibly even with anchovies.
Courtesy Pizza Village
The only meat being skewered here is human, thanks to graphic displays of piercing and other unusual displays of devotion at this festival with animal-friendly catering.
Vegetarian Festival (Phuket, Thailand) —
The only meat being skewered here is human, thanks to graphic displays of piercing and other unusual displays of devotion at this festival with animal-friendly catering.
NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images
World's best food festivals for serious food fanatics

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in May 2016.

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