10 very different food festivals

The best thing about writing a blog is that you get to write about stuff that you are interested in. I am crazy about food. I love eating food, cooking food and reading about food. I will try just about anything once. I spent some time on line checking out some of the funky off the wall food festivals that take place around the world and thought I would share my favourites with you. I came across a saying recently that I think sums up why I love trying different food. "I come here because of the people behind the food, they all have a story to tell."

1. THE HANTAM FLEISFEES - CALVINIA SOUTH AFRICA

Starting at home we have the Hantam Vleisfees. Us Cape Town boys think we know how to braai but the truth is that the "real men" situated in the Karoo have already forgotton what we still have to learn about braaing meat. Calvinia in the Northern Cape is sheep country, and every year they throw one hell of a festival with the sole purpose of celebrating meat. There's meat braaied, stewed, curried, in pita, on sosaties, in potjies - you can even pick up a done-to-perfection sheep's head! The gastronomical boozy experience that is the three-day Hantam Vleisfees has a music concert,street party, vintage car rally and, a highlight for many, the MissVleisfees competition.The reigning Calvinia meat festival queen is RikaVan Zyl.I wonder if she gets to put that on her CV. [HantamVleisfees]

2. ANNUAL TESTICLE FESTIVAL - MONTANA USA

I was told that there are several imitators but that this is the original ballfest. Usually known by its classier name, the Rocky Mountain Oyster Festival, this whole event is dedicated to serving deep-fried bull testicles. You can have your choice plain deep-fried, beer battered, marinated, as well as some newly concocted delectables. For the indecisive, $5 can provide a sampler plate of testicles. Those on a low-testicle diet can have fun as well! One of the highlights of the festival is Bullshit Bingo, with a grand prize of $100 for the lucky person who can correctly predict where a cow will do its doodie. The motto of this dignified event? “I had a ball at the Testicle Festival.” The website is pretty impressive and is well worth taking a look at www.testyfesty.com This reminded me of that great scene with Chevy Chase from the movie Funny Farm so I decided to include a clip from that below.

3. THE MAIN LOBSTER FESTIVAL

One of the most popular food festivals in the world, the Maine Lobster Festival is to seafood what Hollywood is to divorce -- even the ones you never heard of are worth talking about. Maine Lobster Festival has been running for more than 60 years. These delicious crustaceans pull in the crowds with thousands of boiled lobsters cooked in the world’s largest steamer. The festival ends with the famed Great International Lobster Crate Race, where contestants speed across lobster crates in the harbor, for a crustacean cup. www.mainelobsterfestival.com

4. THE GALWAY OYSTER FESTIVAL - GALWAY IRELAND

Each September, Galway City comes alive with seafood & oysters as it celebrates the Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival,the most internationally recognised food festival in Ireland and the world's longest running International Oyster Festival. The Galway Oyster Festival's highlights include the World Oyster Opening Championships and the"Elegant Lady" competition -- all for the "craic," of course. Galway is situated on the windswept West Coast of Ireland, and it’s considered by many to be the cultural capital of Ireland, where gaelgoiri (Irish speakers) love to debate anything from poetry to economics. It’s a fitting location for this oyster celebration then, given the little mollusk’s association with what we consider to be the more discerning or cultured palate. The festival itself has been running since 1954, earning it a place among the world’s oldest food festivals. www.galwayoysterfest.com

5. TOMATINA - VALENCIA SPAIN

The annual Tomatina festival in Buñol, near Valencia where around 40,000 people from all over the world take part in an event in which participants throw 120 tonnes of tomatoes in a mass 'food fight'. This is without a doubt the biggest food fight in the world. I have covered this before so if you want to read more CLICK HERE.

6. GILROY GARLIC FESTIVAL - GILROY CALIFORNIA USA

Gilroy is the unofficial Garlic Capital of the World and proudly shows off in this festival that attracts over 100,000 visitors annually that as a whole consume an estimated two and a half tons of garlic at the event. The official Gilroy Garlic Festival website claims to have used72 tons of garlic in the twenty-nine years this festival has existed.Cooking demonstrations and lectures discuss traditional uses and health benefits but the innovative can always express their love for thispungent food in the Great Garlic Cook-off, which has had entries like garlic ice cream, garlic soft drinks and last year’s winner“Walnut-Garlic Tart with Garlic-Infused Cream and Chili Syrup”. Anyone need a Tic Tac?

7. IVREA ORANGE FESTIVAL- IVREA ITALY

La Tomantina has already been mentioned but by no means is that the only fruit-throwing festival! The Ivrea Orange Festival originated from the 12th century when during parades and city celebrations, girls would throw oranges from their balconies to gain the attention of the boy they fancied. The boys began to reciprocate (no mention if the secret admiration was reciprocated but the oranges certainly were!) and this evolved into a messy rivalry between the balcony girls and the street boys. It wasn’t until WWII when the intricate citrus battle rules were finally laid out. It is free for anyone to participate by joining one of the nine teams on foot or become a member of the carriage crew.

8. TRUFFLE FESTIVAL - ALBA ITALY

The cute and rather petite town of Piedmontese in Alba is the epicenter of foodie heaven come October. The opening of the white truffle season is enough to make any epicure begin to salivate.There’s an invitation-only truffle auction, which only the who’s who of the food world can attend. There’s the Truffle Market and visitorscan buy a truffle and ask local cafés or restaurants to put the finishing touches on their meal for the evening. Clientele with deep pockets also get chance to purchase rare types of truffles -- at around US$2,000 a kilo. www.fieradeltartufo.org

9. CARNIVAL AT VILANOVA I LA GELTRU' - SPAIN

This is a dentists worst nightmare! Originally a protest of the Franco regime’s Carnivale prohibition, this annual festival is by far the sweetest food fight in the world!Celebrations begin on Fat Tuesday with the Meringue Wars, where bakeries open their stores and pass out free pie ammunition to children. The adults dress in the colors of their respective Carnival Society and attend parties and masquerades before joining the children in the streets in what becomes a sweet tooth free-for-all! Over 200,000 lbs of food has been donated to the food fight, ranging from pies to candy to cereal… It’s a dentist’s nightmare! The festival officially ends with the ceremonial burial of a sardine to mark the beginning of Lent and fasting.

10. THE CRAVE SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL - SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

Mention food festivals in Australia and you’ll most likely get a discussion about the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. And, yes, we know it’s fabulous. But here is where that Melbourne and Sydney rivalry comes in. We all know Melbourne is the foodie city, but Sydney is giving it a run for its money -- and with a little glamour added for good measure. Crave is a foodie month in October which draws top international chefs. Visitors taste the best of Aussie fine dining and watch famous chefs mix it up in the kitchen at the World Chef Showcase. The location is a huge pull too, with Sydney’s stunning harbor as a backdrop. www.cravesydney.com