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