Playa Del Carmen and Tulum Mexico Real Estate | One Country, One Dish at the Puerto Aventuras Food Festival

One Country, One Dish at the Puerto Aventuras Food Festival

On March 18, 2018, the Puerto Aventuras Colonos Association will host the 8th edition of the International Food Festival of Puerto Aventuras in beautiful Riviera Maya, Mexico. This wonderful family-friendly event is a great way to learn about different cultures and sample some delicious dishes, all while helping to support the local community of Puerto Aventuras.

In a letter to the editor of the Pelican Free Press, festival coordinator Carlos Quiñones says the idea of the festival is simple: one country, one dish. It’s a way to learn about each country’s traditions through its food. “It is not ‘high level cuisine’, but the traditional food, what we eat every day, or during the holidays, the Greeks, the Chinese or the Turkish. Not lobster or caviar, something more simple but characteristic from each country,” he explains.

The Puerto Aventuras International Food Festival originated in 2009 as part of the functions of the Puerto Aventuras Colonos Association, which establishes cultural and sports activities for the community of Puerto Aventuras. It started out with people from the local community and little by little has been adding participants from nearby towns, including Playa del Carmen and Tulum. It has been held all but two years, and this year will mark the 8th edition of the festival.

Around 300 people attended last year’s event, which showcased a variety of delicious Mexican and international cuisine, including traditional dishes from different areas of Mexico, such as Oaxaca, Chiapas, Hidalgo, and Yucatan. It featured a total of 21 participating food stalls, including 8 restaurants. In 2018, festival organizers are expecting around 600 attendees. The Mexican states taking part in the festival include Puebla, Yucatan, and Nuevo Leon, among others.

There are two ways to participate. If you want to cook and represent your country, reserve your place now. You will be asked to prepare enough food for 300 small samples. The Colonos Association will provide all supplies (tables, chairs, plates, napkins, etc.) and reimburse up to $2,000 pesos for the cost of food (for private citizen chefs only, commercial businesses are expected to cover their own food costs). Each chef, private and business alike, will need to identify with one country. For more info, email Carlos Quiñones at coordinacion@colonos.org or call 873-5116.

If you simply want to attend the festival and taste all of the delicious food, tickets are available at the Colonos Office. Tickets cost $150 pesos for adults and $100 pesos for children.

Photos by Andrea Ruiz Perron, BuyPlaya

To find out about other upcoming events, check out our Riviera Maya Events Calendar. Just click on the individual links to see all of the event details!