You don’t have to be a professional chef or food critic to appreciate good food. It is more likely than not that there is a popular dish specific to your region of the world, either year round or for a single season. It’s something you might take for granted, but that dish attracts visitors from all over the country.

Cities throughout the world hold annual food festivals to celebrate their own special delicacies. Believe it or not, a different food is in peak season almost every month of the year, so finding a special food festival (somewhere on earth!) is never very difficult. Are you hungry for something new? Check out some of the world’s best food festivals throughout the year!

The South Beach Food & Wine Festival

When I think of South Beach, Florida I think of the South Beach Diet – but dieting is far from the norm at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. The focus seems to be on gourmet foods, alcohol, and champagnes. Some of the world’s top chefs make appearances here each year! The 2008 festival has passed, but the 2009 Festival will be held from February 19^th through February 22^nd. Stop on by and you might catch a glimpse of Emeril or another favorite chef!

Iceland Food and Fun Festival

The Iceland Food and Fun Festival is held between February 20^th and 25^th at the Reykjavik Art Museum in Iceland. The main event is the Food and Fun Competition where chefs from other parts of the world are given one hour to shop for ingredients and three hours to prepare a three-course meal (one fish, one meat, one dessert) for the judges. The catch is that none of the competing chefs have ever worked with Icelandic ingredients, which are celebrated during the event!

Mondial de la Biere, Montreal

The Mondial de la Biere festival in Montreal, Canada celebrates another favorite – beer! The event lasts for five days and features hundreds of incredible brews. A handful of the best beer brews are created for the festival only! It’s free to get into the hall, but you’ll have to buy coupons ($1 each) to be put towards tasting each of the brews on your “must try” list. The average sample is 3oz and cost anywhere from 1 to 5 coupons. The 2008 Montreal Beer Festival was held from May 28^th through June 1^st – mark your calendar to watch for next year’s event and book your Montreal hotel early as this festival pulls a crowd!

American Cheese Society Tasting

The American Cheese Society Festival of Cheese is held during the society’s annual conference each year. This year’s event will run from July 23 until July 26^th in the Hilton in Chicago. There will be a one-night cheese tasting during the conference, where attendees will sample some of the most incredible cheeses from dairies across the country. Come hungry – there will be a lot of cheese here.

International Mango Festival, India

I love it when mangos come into season and suddenly pop up in our local produce stores at incredibly reasonable prices! India loves the mango, too, and hosts the International Mango Festival each year! The festival is usually held in Uttar Pradesh in July. Finding a local travel agent is the best way to visit the two-day festival, as they’ll likely direct you to this as well as to the Spice Festival when it is held in Cochin.

Sonoma County Harvest Fair, California

The colors and scents of a beautiful fall deserve celebration! The Sonoma County Harvest Fair in California features a wine competition with fresh new flavors from all over the world. While the wine tasting headlines the festival, fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and fun contests promise to entertain everyone in attendance! This year’s festival will be held from October 3^rd through the 5^th.

The International White Truffle Festival, Italy

The International White Truffle Festival in Italy proves an incredible destination for anyone interested in the history and culture surrounding the white truffle. Chefs from all over love incorporating this gem of a truffle into their cooking, and the festival celebrates its existence with auctions and events.

Visitors should make an effort to check out the market where they will find not only white truffles themselves, but truffle oil, truffle butters, creams, and pastes derived from this incredible specialty food. The festival is usually held anywhere between September and December annually. This year the 77^th International White Truffle Festival will begin on October 4^th and run through November 9^th, 2008.

Turks & Caicos Conch Festival

You’ve seen those big beautiful conch shells on the beach, but did you know that each year chefs from around the globe scramble to turn the delicate sea snail that was once housed inside the shell into a delectable culinary treat? The Turks & Caicos Conch Festival in the Caribbean runs for about a week and includes culinary competitions, food tasting, and even a conch-blowing contest! The official date for the 2008 festival has not been announced yet, but it is likely to be in November.

Kona Coffee Fest, Hawaii

The price tag associated with Hawaiian Kona coffee sometimes puts this delicious brew on the “special occasion” list for many coffee-lovers, but it’s no surprise that this incredible creation is the center of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival in Hawaii each year. The festival includes pageants, parades, food, dancing, cultural presentations, and – of course – coffee! The 2008 festival will be held from November 7^th through the 16^th.

If you weren’t hungry when you started reading, you probably are now! While some of these festivals have already passed for the year, many are yet to come! Make sure to mark you calendars and explore some of the incredible gastronomic delights the world has to offer!

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