Food means celebration in any culture. Not only is eating almost essential to any celebration, but many of the world's festivals owe their existence to the pleasures of the table. From asparagus and truffles to sardines, chilli and rum; it seems that any excuse is good to organise a moment of sharing and joy.
Whether you travel to eat or eat to travel, these fabulous culinary festivals will repay the effort you put into them. Mark them on your calendar and loosen your belt.
The festival of Saint Anthony floods the streets of Lisbon with sardines and basil plants © Luis Santos / Shutterstock
Feast of Saint Anthony - Lisbon, Portugal
The anniversary of the death of Anthony, the 13th century saint venerated as the city's patron saint by the Lisboêtas, is marked by joyous street parties and two of the jewels of summer: basil and sardines. From 12-13 June, more than 50 arraiais (street festivals) enliven the beautiful historic districts of Alfama, Castelo and Madragoa. Vinho verde (new wine) flows in rivers, the air is filled with the songs and smoke of grilled sardines and lovers exchange manjericos (basil plants) as a symbol of their love.
Outside the festival, you can immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of Lisbon, which includes the Castelo de São Jorge and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, a UNESCO heritage site.
Don't miss the white gold at the award-winning German asparagus festival © Brent Hofacker / Shutterstock
Spargelfest - Schwetzingen, Germany
No place in the world loves asparagus more than Germany, and no region surpasses Baden-Württemberg for the quality of its 'white gold', the lightasparagus that experts praise for its delicate flavour. Schwetzingen, situated on a fertile plain between the Rhine and Neckar rivers, proudly flies its flag as Spargelstadt (asparagus town), home of Spargelfest, the annual asparagus festival. The arrival of the Spargelzeit (asparagus season) is celebrated with parties, music, picnics and the nomination of a new 'asparagus queen'. After eating your fill, visit nearby Heidelberg, a university town that expands from the Baroque Aldstadt (old town), which surrounds the impressive Renaissance castle.
The weather gets really hot in New Mexico during the Hatch Valley Chile Festival © Danae Abreu / Shutterstock
Hatch Valley Chile Festival - New Mexico, United States
Famous throughout the southwestern states, the Hatch chile is grown along a part of the Rio Grande that centres on the town of Hatch. Home to around 2000 inhabitants, Hatch is flooded with over 30000 visitors every Labor Day (first Monday in September), when the fiery spectacle of theHatch Valley Chile Festival kicks off.
Particularly sweet and spicy, Hatch chillies are an essential ingredient in southwestern cuisine: try them in stews, posoles (hominy - maize - soup), enchiladas and other delicious savoury dishes served by street vendors and the extraordinary chilli chefs during the two-day festival. Even if you don't want to tempt fate in the masochistic chilli-eating contests, you'll still be within a reasonable distance of the sights of southwestern New Mexico: the rugged Gila National Forest, which also contains the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, a 13th-century inhabited settlement, and the peculiar, offbeat town of Truth or Consequences.
A white truffle is carefully weighed at the International Alba Truffle Fair in Piedmont © Yulia Grigoryeva / Shutterstock
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International Fair of the White Truffle of Alba - Piedmont, Italy
Few foods other than truffles can arouse such passion (and raise such high prices) and no place is more famous for its truffles than Alba, in Piedmont. Every autumn is marked by the arrival of the long-awaited white truffle, celebrated every weekend from mid-October to mid-November at the Truffle Fair. The central element of the event is the market, where the precious mushrooms harvested in the forests of the Langhe-Roero and Monferrato (a UNESCO heritage site) are sold in the Cortile della Maddalena, a historic square in the heart of this Roman city.
Book a room in advance and allow yourself time to wander the streets of the centre, taste the local chocolate and hazelnuts, enjoy a glass of Barbaresco and catch a glimpse of the remains of Alba's classical and medieval past.
Get your fill of sun, sea and rum in the Bahamas © GANNA MARTYSHEVA / Shutterstock
RumBahamas - Nassau, Bahamas
Known to have been an infamous pirate nest in the heart of the Bahamas, Nassau is the perfect location for RumBahamas, perhaps the world's biggest party dedicated to the famous liquor that comes from sugar cane. The ruins of the ramparts of Fort Charlotte, a Georgian fort built to defend British property but never used, come to life during this long weekend of feasting and food, all accompanied by the best rum in all of the Caribbean, North Atlantic and South America. Nassau is also the urban centre of the Bahamas, home of the nightly Fish Fry, based on shellfish and sky juice (a mix of coconut water and gin), dotted with historic buildings, functioning as a gateway to the islands' beauty and the archipelago's diving sanctuary Exuma.
Enjoy an incredible Arctic cod among the ethereal beauty of the Lofoten archipelago © rweisswald / Shutterstock
Skreifestivalen - Lofoten Islands, Norway
Where can you find cod that exceeds all expectations? Only on the Lofoten Islands in wild north-eastern Norway. These icy, pure waters are the habitat of a prize-winning fish in many of the world's best cuisines: the skrei, or Arctic wild cod. Every year between January and March, this specimen swims out of the icy Barents Sea to spawn on the Lofoten seabed. This annual delicacy is celebrated in March in Skreifestivalen, a three-day festival dedicated to deep-sea fishing, local festivities and plenty of opportunities to savour the sodden, iridescent meat of the skrei (perhaps including liver and eggs or in a creamy traditional soup). Once your palate is satisfied, treat yourself to a drive on the E10 road that connects all the magnificent islands of the archipelago, for the craziest itinerary you will ever take in your life.
Expanses of vines adorning the landscape around Beaujeu, France © PHB.cz (Richard Semik) / Shutterstock
Sarmentelles de Beaujeu - France
Beaujeu, the medieval capital of the Beaujolais AOC wine region, is the ideal place to celebrate the annual inauguration of Beaujolais Nouveau. A fruity, fresh new red wine created from the dark Gamay vine that is fermented for just six weeks before being inaugurated at midnight on the third Thursday in November, an occasion that triggers great celebrations in France. But the festivities start a little earlier in this wine town, as the famous Sarmentelles de Beaujeu alcoholic festival begins the previous Wednesday, inaugurating five days of wine, music and dancing. Not far from Beaujeu, there are charming villages such as Vaux-en-Beaujolais, renowned crus such as Villié-Morgon, Fleurie, Juliénas, Moulin-à-Vent and St-Amour Bellevue, without forgetting Lyon, a city that rightly claims to be the capital of French gastronomy.