Round the world ticket to foodie heaven

Move over music festivals, here’s to the foodie festivals. A list of interesting foodie events from around the globe.

“EAT your veggies!” says mum repeatedly. Well, to stop her nagging tell her you went to the annual Yuma Lettuce festival, in Arizona, USA. Arizona is known as the nation’s “salad bowl”, and so it makes sense that they dedicate a whole festival to lettuce. Arizona lays claim to the title of the lettuce capital of the world. The Yuma Lettuce Days Festival features the southwest’s longest salad bar, 5,000 pounds of lettuce. That’s a whole lot of rabbit food.

PRAY you don’t face the same fate as some of the ancient Aztec populations at the Food of the God’s festival in Oaxaca, Mexico. A wonderful cultural experience drawing pre-hispanic influences from 17 of the region’s Indian Tribes as well as modern influences. You can sample the heavenly gift of Queso Oaxaca or Oaxan cheese typically found in Quesadillas and empanadas. Another common snack food made with Oaxaca cheese is the tlayuda, a partially-fried or toasted tortilla covered with refried beans, pork lard, lettuce/cabbage, avocado, chapulines, meat, salsa, and, of course, cheese. Sombrero and margaritas required.

LOVE thrives at the Autumn Harvest Moon festival in China. One legend has it that Man in the Moon was spotted at an inn, carrying a writing tablet, when questioned, he said he was recording the names of all the happy couples who were fated to marry and live happily ver after. Accordingly, just as June is the traditional month for exchanging nuptials in the west, many Chinese weddings are held during the eighth lunar month. And how do you celebrate? By eating mooncakes of course! Traditional versions of mooncakes contain four egg yolks (representing the four phases of the moon). Besides lotus seed paste, other traditional fillings include red bean paste and black bean paste. Today, mooncakes may be filled with everything from dates, nuts, and fruit to Chinese sausages, and you can get exotic green tea or snowskin mooncakes too.

EXPLORE the world of forgotten vegetables at Fête des Legumes Oubliés (Festival of Forgotten Vegetables) in La Haye-de-Routot, France. Transporting visitors back in time, the festival starts each autumn and is dedicated to vegetables that were used in the past but have long since been forgotten. Stalls take over the town, featuring unusual varieties of squash, parsnips, squash, spinach, chervil and
leek. There are free tastings, and gardeners and chefs on hand to explain how to grow and cook with these endangered veggies.

RELAX at Hanami or the Cherry Blossom Viewing festival in Japan. Just go to your nearest park and you will find vendors selling delicious takoyaki balls and picnic goers soaking up the sun under Sakura trees. Other popular Hanami foods are kushidango dumplings, oden, inarizushi and yakitori. As the Japanese say, "hana yori dango" which means "I would rather eat sweet dango dumplings than view cherry blossoms!"

PLAY at the world’s messiest festival, La Tomatina, in Valencia, Spain. The night after the massive Paella cooking competition, Valencia’s shops get prepared and covered up in plastic to protect themselves from a giant surge of flying tomato skins and juices.. Go and see hundreds of underwear clad Spaniards take part in the worlds biggest tomato fight – or join in yourself if you dare!