It's no secret that the most delicious vegetables, fruits, and seafood are those freshly grown, freshly picked, freshly caught. And the very best among them are the first, early gifts of the "opening season." Remember the taste of small ground cucumbers when they first appear at the market. Or the first new potatoes. Or... Well, need we say more, take bananas for example: everyone who has tried them in Madeira or Thailand, not to mention Ecuador or Cuba, knows that their taste simply cannot be compared to ours. They may not look as fancy, but they are so much sweeter, juicier, and simply tastier! And why? Because they come straight from the bush! In the evening - on the branch, in the morning - at the market. No agonizing two-week ripening in refrigerator ships, no inert gases used to "preserve" bananas for better storage. And the result - not exactly evident to the eye, but to the tongue - definitely.
But if we have no problem with seasonal cucumbers, what about young, most delicious and healthy bananas? Or pineapples? Neither grows here. The solution is obvious: go where these bananas and pineapples are as plentiful as potatoes are here. Go in season, of course. And the beacons in such a Grand Gastronomic Journey will be specific culinary holidays and festivals, where you can not only find original gifts, but also enjoy national dishes.
Culinary Holidays
They are usually held in beautiful, cultural places long frequented by tourists. And no wonder. What did the native inhabitants of today's resorts do before the arrival of vacationers? The same thing: they grew, caught, and gathered. As you understand, there is no industry in places suitable for relaxation, there never was, and there never will be.
Life was a bit easier in some places, harder in others. One thing remained unchanged everywhere: the harvest must be celebrated. But not like we had under Soviet rule (remember all those "Harvest Festivals" at collective farm markets, the mad fair with drunken jesters?), but with feeling, with sense, with deliberation.
As a rule, the appearance in abundance of the main local edible product is celebrated, whatever it may be. True, sometimes the "natives" get carried away and start celebrating almost every harvest. The inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula are particularly guilty of this. Most such "fests" - especially those held in small towns and villages - are extremely similar to each other. At least in Europe. First - preparations, setting up stalls and setting up kitchens (on the central square, of course!), then on the momentous day itself - a solemn procession and service in the main church. And finally, the main event: buying, tasting, and eating the seasonal delicacy. And - just a gluttonous feast and a grand drinking binge for the whole day, evening, and night.
A Bit of Fish
A characteristic example is the "First Sardine Festival." It is celebrated at the end of spring - beginning of summer almost throughout the western Mediterranean, as well as in Portugal. Why the sardine and not sea bass or cuttlefish? Because sardines are a seasonal fish, and they approach the shores precisely in May-June. Nowadays they are caught by trawlers all year round without a break, but earlier, when the appearance of tasty fish where it could easily be caught with ordinary nets from a simple boat was indeed an event worthy of celebration.
The most famous (and at the same time most typical) are the Portuguese "First Sardine Festivals." And it's understandable: the western tip of the Iberian Peninsula, the Atlantic coast, richer in fish than the Mediterranean, but poorer in everything else. Accordingly, the seasonal sardine was, if not prayed to, then highly revered there.
These festivals take place along the entire coast, with the baton being passed from town to town. There are only two variations: either the procession and mass are held before the start of fishing (then boats or fishing gear are blessed), or after - and the fish from the first catch are blessed. The second option is preferable, because they go out to sea early in the morning, and you have to wait a long time for the fishermen to finally return with their catch. But here, as soon as the ceremonial part ends, you can immediately start the feast. Wine, of course, flows like a river, and the sardines are fried (they will be smoked, salted, marinated, and canned later) - and eaten. And no matter how they are fried - on the grill or in a pan with olive oil - it is almost impossible to spoil the taste of fresh young sardines.
A Bit of Extreme
Another fish that has earned the honor of its own festival is tuna. True, both the Sicilian spring mattanza (Egadi Islands) and the Tunisian madraga (Sidi Daoud) can only be called a festival with a stretch. At least from the tuna's point of view, there is nothing fun here.
The best depiction of the action is given by Salvador Dali's painting, which is called "The Tuna Catch." For those who haven't seen it, let me explain: tuna going to spawn are lured into a sort of dead end made of nets. Boats block the exit. The fishermen pull the net out of the water, and when it is almost raised and teeming with fish, the fishermen jump into the water inside the net and... the slaughter begins.
Bloody? Undoubtedly. Unappetizing? Absolutely not - tuna at this time of year is extremely tasty, and freshly caught, especially caught by yourself, is doubly tasty. And besides, what a thrill (and it is a thrill - both mattanza and madraga are now organized mainly for tourists) for those seeking strong sensations!
A Bit of Pastoral
There is even a red pepper festival (the town of Diamante in Calabria, southern Italy). There are even onion festivals (in Weimar, Madeira and mainland Portugal). The onion festival is perhaps more exotic and more gastronomic. It is called 'Festa da Cebola' and is held in the central and northern parts of the country in October. By the way, 'cebola' is not just onion, but leek, so the festival, unlike its two counterparts, is not about bulb onions but about leeks.
The main point of the festival is baking and eating that same leek. And since it is baked over an open fire, the thick stem gets covered with a thick layer of soot. The challenge is to enjoy the rather fatty, sweet and very tasty delicacy without getting dirty. To make it harder, the leek is served not just any way, but on roof tiles - local flavor, though. But in respectable establishments, diners are given special plastic aprons and gloves. And still, it is almost impossible not to get dirty. Nothing can be done, you have to pay for pleasure...
A bit of exotic
Of course, there are gastronomic events even more exotic. You can, for example, go to Madeira in September and take part in the custard apple festival. Go to Thailand (again in September) to Lamphun for the longan ripening festival or (in May) to Chiang Rai for the game festival. Fly to Taipei for Durian Day. What a triple pleasure: not only is it the most expensive fruit in the world, it is also the smelliest, the most, according to gourmets, delicious, and generally forbidden to be transported on airplanes. Custard apple (also called cherimoya), longan and lychee, like durian, are tropical fruits.
And there is exotic of a completely different kind. How about, for example, a festival at the intersection of two arts, namely cooking and sewing? It takes place in Boston during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. An extensive collection of headwear is presented for public judgment: Stetsons, ladies' hats, berets. Most of all, of course, yarmulkes. And the whole charm is that they are made of... meat. Don't like meat, especially in the form of hats? Then how about chocolate dresses? Salon du Chocolat has been traveling around the world's capitals for many years, and sweet literally fashion shows are an integral part of it.
Gourmet's delight
Still, it is the national, seasonal gastronomic joys that are the true delight for a real gourmet. An exception can be made, perhaps, for two international events. The first is the grand February 'Product Festival' in Niigata. It is good at least because it includes a 'Soup Festival' where you can try literally all the soups of the world. Moreover, they are prepared by visiting chefs, so authenticity is guaranteed.
The second event deserves a more detailed account. This is the Paris 'Taste Week', taking place in the French capital in October. It was conceived as a counterbalance to fast food ideas and aims to promote real, healthy, 'slow' food. So in October, Paris turns into a true paradise for gourmets. However, it is not limited to Paris; in one form or another, 'Taste Week' is celebrated throughout the country - with a choucroute festival (stewed sauerkraut with sausages) in Alsace, a chestnut and mushroom festival in Périgord, a fish festival in the upper Rhône.
And in Paris, gastronomic life is in full swing, chefs go to schools and give cooking lessons, restaurant owners hold master classes, tastings and put up special menus for students and children - with low prices. In short, a very right event for those who love French cuisine.
In general, the theme of food festivals is truly inexhaustible. There are also all sorts of 'grand celebrations' - no matter what occasion they are held for, an integral part will inevitably be the eating of the main local delicacies. Finally, there are off-season national dishes, such as Scottish haggis, Spanish paella, Finnish kalakukko... and who knows what else! And they are also best eaten in their homeland - they taste better there.
So you will never travel enough, never taste enough.
Delicacies
ASPARAGUS. The main European consumer of asparagus is France, but to get the best you should go to Germany. Because in Germany it is grown, firstly, more, and secondly, it tastes better. The asparagus capital of Germany (and all of Europe) is the city of Büchenau in Baden-Württemberg, attracting thousands of enthusiasts from all over Europe, if not the world, during the season. How not to miss this season, and also to get to the 'Spargelfest', the main celebration dedicated to young asparagus? A big question.
It is clear that asparagus ripens in spring, but not exactly at the same time, it all depends on the year. So gourmets should carefully follow the press. Better yet, specialized press.
TRUFFLES. The town of Alba in Piedmont awaits you. If Büchenau (and nearby Schwetzingen) are the asparagus capitals of Europe, then Alba is the truffle capital. At least, the locals are sure of that. The truffle festival takes place there throughout October and ends in early November. Its main component is Sunday fairs and markets. The cultural program is not too extensive, it is overshadowed by the gastronomic program. Although truffles are a very expensive pleasure, not everyone can afford such a gift - the price per kilogram sometimes exceeds $2,000. Alba is disputed by the Italian town of Acqualagna in the Marche region. The arguments are as follows: first, Acqualagna accounts for 2/3 of the entire Italian truffle harvest, and second, the local white truffle is officially recognized as the 'benchmark'. The 'National White Truffle Fair' is held there at about the same time as the festival in Alba.
OYSTERS. Strange as it may seem, even though Norman and Breton oysters are considered among the best in the world, no festival is held in their honor. Except perhaps in Paris... But where is Paris, and where is the sea? Take the scallop festival in Brittany – for example: the town of Erquy, early April, the main delicacy – scallops in cider. But oysters – as if cut off. Maybe the entire harvesting season in northern France is considered one big celebration?.. However, Irish oysters are no worse. With them it's simple: if you want to taste delicious shellfish, go to the city of Galway in late September - early October for the oyster festival. It, by the way, coincides with a music festival, so cultural program is guaranteed. You can also taste excellent seasonal oysters in Cadiz on January 13, at the "Sea Gifts Festival", which for some reason is part of the "Pie Festival".