Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2017 | Page 432
Food FESTIVALS Galore in Puerto Rico
Streets closed off to vehicular traffic, tents set up along the streets, tables lay wait outside of restaurants in prepardness for the street festival - a veritable food fest! Puerto Rico is known for its many food festivals and if food is what you are into, then Puerto Rico is the place to visit - at any time of year! Check out one such street festival in December or August in Old San Juan, the SoFo Culinary Festival. Ready yourself for food from over 40 participating restaurants over a four day period filled with gastronomic pleasures. Did someone say tapas? Various festivals are held in many towns throughout the country, all in celebration of food. In October, there’s the Clam Fest in Anasco and the National Plantain Festival in Corozal. November sees the staging of Luquillo’s Coconut Fest and the National Puerto Rican Pastel Festival in Orocovis. In December, you can visit Trujillo Alto for their Macabeo Festival, an event which celebrates the town’s tradition of making green banana fritters. These town and street festivals are not the only food-related events in Puerto Rico. Things are stepped up a notch or two with celebrity chefs, award-winning restaurants and cooking competitions held at centres and special venues throughout the country. Saborea Puerto Rico’s Culinary Extravaganza, one of the country’s premier events, usually takes place in Spring. Save the date for next year’s event which will be held on April 5 - 8, 2018. You’ll have to pay to attend this festival but it will be well worth it, as you will be treated to national and international flavours, tastings from over 30 of the island’s finest restaurants, rums, wine, beer and distilled spirits, in the presence of 50 international and local culinary personalities! PUERTO RICO