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Let’s face it, for those of us who eat gluten free, we don’t usually have a lot of options. Unless, that is, you’re at Disney World. Then there are TONS of options.
In recent years, Disney has expanded the Epcot Food and Wine Festival gluten free offerings. This makes me very happy.
This post helps take a look at how eating at Epcot Food and Wine Festival gluten free works, things to look out for and so on. I’ll also include a list of all of the menu items Disney identifies as gluten free.
And last but not least, we’ll take a look at my review of all of the gluten free menu items and my ranking of the top 5 options for this year.
Also, make sure you take a look at my full Epcot Food and Wine Festival Guide. That goes into detail with the full menus, concert information, and other entertainment.
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Gluten Free Overview
Before we dive into the menu items themselves, I want to have a quick talk about eating gluten free at any of the Epcot festivals.
If you’ve never been to Disney before, know that they take allergy friendly eating very seriously. And really, the chefs tend to bend over backwards at the restaurants.
But eating at any of the outdoor kitchens is a little different.
The biggest, and most important thing to understand is that the outdoor kitchens cannot promise there is no cross-contamination. There are likely other foods at that booth with gluten containing ingredients.
If you are highly sensitive to cross-contamination, eating at the Food and Wine Festival global marketplaces might not be the best idea for you.
You know your body best, listen to it.
However, if you do have some leeway, the Epcot Festivals are a great opportunity for gluten free eaters.
The “Gluten Friendly” Designation
This post is going to focus solely on the menu items specifically identified by Disney as being “gluten friendly”. What that designation means is that Disney is confident that the ingredients found in that menu item are gluten free.
You will notice some menu items on the full list that look like they should be gluten free. They very well might be, but they contain an ingredient that Disney doesn’t know if there could be cross contamination.
An example of this is the Frushi during Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. This is a favorite among the gluten free set, even though it’s not listed as gluten friendly.
The culprit? The toasted coconut you see on top. They don’t know whether it was manufactured in a facility that allows for cross-contamination.
So most gluten free people order the Frushi without the toasted coconut.
There are usually several menu items that can be made gluten free with the subtraction of ingredients.
This leads me to my next suggestion: when in doubt, ask a Cast Member.
If something looks like it should be gluten free, ask about it. If that booth doesn’t have an ingredient list, they call a central department that does have that information.
That central department includes chefs who are familiar with the information. Don’t be shy, they are more than happy to get this information for you.
Knowing the ingredients helps you to know whether there are other menu options that you can eat.
So in reality, the list you see here is likely incomplete. There are other menu items that will be gluten free with a little extra effort on your part.
But I can only eat so many things in the course of a couple of days, so I’m sticking with the easily identified items for this review!
Epcot Food and Wine Festival Gluten Free Menu
Ok, lets take a look at the menu itself. Remember, these are the items specifically identified by Disney as officially “gluten friendly”.
I’m not posting the drinks in this particular post, but there are a number of hard ciders and other drinks that are gluten friendly too. Check out Disney’s full menu list for more.
I added an image of the the booth menu with the prices so you can get an idea of just how much each of the snack items costs. The Noodle Exchange is the only one I don’t have a picture of since it opens after my trip.
Australia (Near Port of Entry)
- Grilled Sweet-and-Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Roasted Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies (gluten/wheat-friendly)
Brazil (Between France and Morocco)
- Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (gluten/wheat-friendly)
Brew-Wing at the Odyssey
- Garlic-Parmesan Wings with Celery and Ranch (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Traditional Buffalo Wings with Celery and Ranch (gluten/wheat-friendly)
The price isn’t listed on the menu, but each of the wings are $7.50.
I recently found out that ALL of the menu items at Brew-Wing at the Odyssey are gluten free, as confirmed by the chef. So double check when you get there and you could have way more options.
Canada
- “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce (gluten/wheat-friendly)
France
- Crème Brûlée Vanille à la Confiture de Framboises: Vanilla Crème Brûlée with House-Made Raspberry Jam (gluten/wheat-friendly)
The Fry Basket (Near Test Track)
- Adobo Yuca Fries with Garlic-Cilantro Aïoli (plant-based and gluten/wheat-friendly)
Greece (Near Morocco)
- Griddled Cheese with Pistachios and Honey (gluten/wheat-friendly)
Kenya (Near Refreshment Outpost)
- Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Beef Tenderloin with Sweet-Potato-and-Corn Mealie Pap and Kachumbari Slaw (gluten/wheat-friendly)
Mexico
- Taco al Pastor: Seared Pork Belly Pastor on a Corn Tortilla with Chipotle Black Beans, Pineapple, Pickled Onions and Chives (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Tostada de Barbacoa: Barbacoa Beef on a Fried Corn Tortilla with Chipotle Black Beans, Salsa Verde, Mexican Crema, Queso Fresco and Chives (gluten/wheat-friendly)
Spain (Between Italy and Germany)
- Charcuterie with a selection of imported Spanish Meats, Cheeses, Olives and an Herbed Vinaigrette (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Paella with Rice, Chorizo and Shrimp (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Seafood Salad with Shrimp, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Balsamic Vinegar and Smoked Paprika (gluten/wheat-friendly)
The Swanky Saucy Swine (Near Disney Traders)
- Crispy Barbecued Pork Rinds with Pimento Cheese (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Grilled Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wrap with Charred Corn Salsa, Pickled Red Onion and Cilantro-Lime Crema (gluten/wheat-friendly)
The Noodle Exchange (Near Disney Traders) – Opening August 15
- Traditional Spicy Vietnamese Beef Pho with Shaved Beef, Mushrooms and Thai Basil (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Thai Shrimp and Coconut-Curry Rice Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms and Thai Basil (gluten/wheat-friendly)
- Tofu Pho with Mushrooms and Thai Basil (plant-based and gluten/wheat-friendly)
Gluten Free Epcot Food and Wine Festival 2022 Review
Once thing to keep in mind overall is that consistency is always a problem when getting food from outdoor kitchens at the Epcot festival.
These menu items are mass produced on an epic scale. True, they are usually cooking them relatively fresh, but they are cooking thousands of them a day.
This will lead to some differences in quality in the same dish.
Australia
My first impression is that these two combined make a pretty picture.
Australia was literally the first booth I came across when I entered into World Showcase, so it was an easy decision to start here.
Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp
Right of the bat, this is an attractive display of food. Let’s face it, we eat with our eyes just as much as we eat with our mouth.
The shrimp is very well seasoned and the veggies add a pop of color. I was also impressed with just how large these shrimp are. No shrinking violets here.
Overall I thought the dish was good, but nothing to write home about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s enjoyable, but my taste buds didn’t sing.
My biggest issue was with the vegetables. They weren’t as crisp as I would prefer. In fact, they weren’t crisp at all. So if you like your vegetables softer, you’re in luck. But I think a nice crispy cook on the vegetables would have given this dish some needed texture.
Roasted Lamb Chop
To say I was intrigued by the Lamb Chop is an understatement. I mean, it’s lamb, with mint and potato chips. How could that not be intriguing.
I’ll be the first to admit, I always thought the lamb and mint combo was a little odd, so I always avoided it. Specifically mint jelly. There’s just something about mint jelly that seems so wrong to me.
So this was first experience with lamb and mint. I actually really enjoyed this. There was such a contrast between the savory meat, the coolness of the mint, and the salty crunch of the potato crunchies.
My only issues with the lamb chop is the price to quantity ratio. It will set you back $8.25. And by the time I cut it up, I had a whopping six bites to enjoy.
Yes, 6. Frankly, for that price, I want a bit more food than that.
But on the whole, it’s a very good dish.
Brazil
The Brazilian Cheese Bread served at Brazil is famous in the Disney gluten free community!
Pão de Queijo: Brazilian cheese bread
Let’s face it, these are not exactly the most picturesque things to eat. And this is definitely the best picture I have of them. I have pics of them from other years inside the little cardboard holder looking utterly unattractive.
But don’t let that fool you, these things are delicious.
First off, it’s bread. How often do we get to have any sort of bread like substance while out and about? Next to never.
It definitely has that bread novelty to it which goes a long way. But even beyond that, it’s like nothing you’ve had before. The cheese is built all throughout the cheese bread, so it doesn’t just ooze out or anything.
When you bite into it, you can see how the cheese is incorporated. I probably should have taken a picture of that, too.
But anyway, these things are delicious and quite filling. They also come in at the bargain price of $4.75. That makes these not just a delicious choice but a cost effective one.
Brew-Wing at the Odyssey
Wings are always a popular option, right? Right?!?
The lines that were always at this booth seem to support that theory. I will say, service as a whole at this booth was a bit on the slow side.
On top of that, there was a definite lack of quality control. Both of my dishes should have been served with ranch, but neither were. By the time I realized this I was already sitting at a table. I was not about to give up my air conditioned table with chairs to go get my ranch.
I’ll also note, the GF symbol is not on any of the signage for this booth, which is curious. I went online to double check that they were in fact marked GF, and then referred to the festival passport to confirm.
The GF symbol was on both of these, so I went for it and was fine. However, if you are someone who is particularly sensitive, I would ask a cast member or just ignore this booth entirely.
Really, you wouldn’t miss much.
Garlic Parmesan Wings
I hope you are prepared for messy fingers because this one isn’t neat. Even from the picture you can see just how much sauce is smother overtop of these wings.
And I’ll say, the flavor of the sauce is delicious. It’s very buttery and garlicky, so you’ll be well prepared to fend off Dracula if necessary afterwards.
All but one of my serving were in the form of wings, not drumsticks, which is a bummer to me as I prefer drumsticks. What this also meant is the meat was tougher and harder to eat.
It was also incredibly dry. Perhaps that’s compensated for with the high amount of sauciness of the topping to a certain extent, but not quite enough.
In the end, the dryness made them pretty touch to eat, which is unfortunate because I think there’s potential here.
Traditional Buffalo Wings
Frankly, these are the same as any Buffalo Wings you’d find at any restaurant around the country. Probably even worse than some.
That’s to say they are perfectly good, as long as you like that buffalo flavoring. I happen to love buffalo flavoring in general and actively seek it out.
With that overall endorsement aside, I’d probably pass on these. They simply weren’t good enough to warrant that price tag. However, if you’re splitting these, which most people probably would, the price probably isn’t so bad.
And man, I really wish I had my ranch! To me, all buffalo wings preferably need blue cheese, but ranch will do in a pinch.
My batch was all drumsticks, which is preferable to wings for sure. But I found the meat itself to be a little dry. Not surprising, really. They were making A LOT of wings at once. I’m sure overcooking is prevalent.
Canada
This one is a fan favorite, and with good reason.
Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon
I honestly don’t even know how long this has been a menu option at the Canada booth at Food and Wine Festival, but it’s a classic.
This is straight from Le Cellier’s menu. In case you didn’t know, Le Cellier is a signature restaurant at Epcot, which is Disney’s version of fine dining.
Now don’t get too excited, you can’t get fine dining caliber out of a food booth, but you can get something close.
On the whole, this shouldn’t be missed. The meat is tender and all of the flavors together are wonderful.
However, this is a dish that suffers from lack of consistency. The meat can easily be overcooked in a mass production setting, so it’s not a perfect cook, but fortunately, it’s still tender due to the cut of meat.
In all the combination of flavors from the the meat, mushrooms, and the sauce is delicious. It’s not wonder this one is so popular.
At $9.25 it’s one of the more expensive options in the whole festival, but you get what you pay for with this one.
France
France gives you the only sweet option in the entire gluten free line up. Unfortunately, the execution is not as good as it could be…
Crème Brûlée Vanille à la Confiture de Framboises
Before we get started, let me preface this with the fact that I adore Creme Brulee in general. It’s always a great gluten free option at places.
First impressions of this particular offering are not the greatest. They simply plunked a foil container on a plate and called it a day. Perhaps my standards are too high, but this is the France booth for crying out loud!
I think they could have added some raspberries and some mint leaves on top and that would have made it look way more attractice.
That is, if the top was scorched.
Admittedly, this should be a fluke and yours hopefully wouldn’t be burnt. But all the creme brulees I saw sitting out looked just like this one. Clearly, someone got a little overzealous with the blow torch.
Once I got past the clearly burnt sugar on top, complete with burnt sugar flavor, the rest of the dish was good. Fortunately, the burnt flavor hadn’t blended into the custard itself.
Listen, I’ve had better creme brulees, but this did hit the spot. The addition of the raspberry was tasty and helped bring some brightness to the dish.
But really, since you’re already in France, you’d be better served going to the L’Artisan des Glaces and getting a macaron ice cream sandwhich. Or going to the bakery for the various macaron options.
The Fry Basket
This is the only new booth offered at this year’s Food and Wine Festival, and lucky for us, there is a gluten free option.
I do think they missed an opportunity to make the whole booth gluten friendly. It would have been nice to be able to get the flight as well.
And honestly, maybe you can. I didn’t take the time to ask, but if you go, I would absolutely ask a cast member for the ingredients and potentially leave off any dangerous ingredients if possible.
Adobo Yuca Fries
I’ve never before had the opportunity to eat yuca so I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Right off the bat, you can see that these are much thicker than traditional fries.
They are also fried to a golden crisp. And when I say crisp, I mean crisp! The cook on these things was absolute crispy perfection. Even to the point that it was challenging to cut with a crappy plastic knife.
The flavor of these is so gosh darn good, and the serving size is generous. Especially once you consider that this is only $5.50 and you get a lot of food.
The seasoned coating of the fries combined with the aioli worked very well together. They were also generous with the aioli which is good since there are more fries here than you originally realize.
My recommendation is to try to mix the fries around with the aioli as best you can so you have the aioli on the bottom fries as well.
Truly, it’s the combination of both together that makes this so good.
Let’s face it, starchy carbs can be filling and this is no exception. Especially when you are eating all of this stuff yourself!
As far as I’m concerned, these are a must do for anyone at Food and Wine Festival this year. And aren’t we lucky they are gluten free?
Greece
Don’t let this unassuming option fool you…
Griddled Cheese with Pistachios and Honey
Let’s be real, you’re going to look at this picture and wonder why on earth it’s even an option. It is deceptively simply looking. But trust me on this one, you want to give it a whirl.
This is a repeat item from last year, and thank goodness it’s back.
The savory and sweet combination work so well together, and the chopped pistachios on top give the dish a nice crunch. The blend of flavors from the honey and the cheese are simply delicious.
This is another one that is fairly filling due to the heaviness of the cheese. That’s good in the sense that you won’t need to buy more food to get full, but not good since you won’t have as much room in your stomach for more.
When talking with some strangers who shared my little table later in the day, they asked me which menu item I would recommend, and I told them the Griddled Cheese. They commented that they’ve heard from from other people as well.
At least I know I’m not alone in my love of this one.
As a bonus, this is also one of the cheaper menu options of the whole festival with a price tag of only $4.75.
Kenya
I’m not going to lie, the word coffee in the name worried me some. I’m one of the few people that hates the flavor of coffee. And mean hate.
However, I didn’t need to worry about that since I couldn’t detect an overpowering coffee flavor!
Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Beef Tenderloin
I found this dish to be visually appealing. The way they plated it with the sweet potato and corn mealie pap on the base and all those colorful vegetables on top made it one of the more attractive dishes. France could learn a lesson or two…
Fortunately for all of us, the taste matched the visual appeal.
The dish as a whole is pretty vibrant. The flavors bled really well. I particularly liked the sweet potato and corn mealie pap. But then again, I love sweet potatoes and corn meal, so that’s no surprise.
Really, the beef, the pap, and the crunch of the vegetables mixed well with one another.
My only complaint was that my beef was a bit overcooked. Again, this is the risk with beef at the global marketplaces. It wasn’t horribly overcooked so I was still able to enjoy it. All of the other flavors helped to mask it.
My only complaint was that the slaw had a slight tang that I didn’t particularly care for, but not enough to stop me from eating it.
Mexico
The Mexico based booth during any of the Epcot festivals is usually a good source for at least one gluten free menu item. This year is no different.
Taco al Pastor
Pork belly is my friend, and should be your friend too. If you’ve never had pork belly before, I definitely urge you to try it out. So far, I haven’t found a pork belly that I didn’t like.
This is a good dish overall. Why they had to put pickled onions all over everything this year, I’ll never know. I know it’s there to bring in some acidity, but I think they could have done that in a better way.
However, I don’t like pickled things in general so there’s that.
I did enjoy this dish overall, though it looks a little haphazard and slapped together.
However, the pork belly was deliciously tender and the seasonings of the dish were tasty. I’m a fan of pineapple in general, and pineapple and pork in particular. However, I think this needed a bit more pineapple. There’s just the tiniest little dollop on this taco.
All in all, this is a solid dish that many people will enjoy.
Tostada de Barbacoa
This was definitely my favorite of the two options. Even looking at the picture, you can tell that this one has a lot more going on.
The tostada is a challenging thing to eat, and will make a mess. But this is all in good fun.
I felt that the tostada was significantly more substantial than the taco. And I don’t just mean in terms of size. In terms of flavor, there was just so much more going on here, and I mean that in the best possible way.
Overall, it’s a good blend of textures and flavor.
Because they are so similar, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend getting both of these dishes. It comes down to whether you prefer a crispy shell or a soft shell, and do you prefer pork belly or barbacoa.
Having eaten both of them though, my vote would be for this one.
Spain
I apologize now, but this one is about to get a little rough. I’m going to preface it all by saying these were the last three items that I ate. It’s possible I was just plum tired of eating. But I don’t think so since eating is my favorite pastime.
I’ll also say, these particular menu options were my least favorite just on paper. So I might be a bit biased.
Across the board, all three of these tasted way too salty. Like really salty.
As far as I’m concerned, this entire booth should be avoided. Save your money and spent it elsewhere.
Charcuterie
I’m just going to say this up front, I despise olives of any sort, so I already knew I would simply avoid eating them directly. I didn’t want to tarnish my overall opinion of the dish by adding my distaste for olives into the mix.
That being said, I stuck with the meat.
And it was awful. Perhaps I just don’t know what a good charcuterie is supposed to taste like. That’s actually quite possible. But everything was so gosh darn salty I couldn’t even eat it.
The meat was salty, the sauce that was mixed on everything was salty.
If you are someone who likes things to be salty you won’t mind this as much as I do. I admit that I don’t like too much salt. But I do like well salted things, I just felt this was over salted.
The sauce does have a little bit of bite to it, and I liked that part.
I will say I like the presentation of it inside of the clear cup.
Paella with Rice, Chorizo, and Shrimp
Holy dryness, Batman!
No seriously, this rice was so dry it stuck to the roof of my mouth. Perhaps I was just really dehydrated? Truly, I definitely was, and very thirsty, but to the extent that food was sticking like peanut butter? I don’t think so.
I stopped eating it after a few bites.
This is a dish I should have liked. I love rice, I love chorizo, and I like shrimp. I was pretty jazzed to try this one.
Ultimately, I was disappointed.
Again, it was just so salty I couldn’t tolerate it for more than a few bites, even the meat.
On the plus side, it’s actually a very generous portion of food. With a price of $6.25, that makes this one a decent value.
I’m willing to concede that maybe I just got this on an off day. Or maybe I really was just tired of eating. This is one I would give another chance to. Like I said, I really should have liked it.
Seafood Salad
Of the three Spain dishes, this one was the least salty, so that’s a win compared to the others. But again, I wasn’t the biggest fan. I think in large part that’s because there’s absolutely no balance with any of these dishes.
They’re all a protein fest. But seriously, don’t call something a salad and hand me something so utterly heavy.
While I get that this is a seafood salad so perhaps a vegetable isn’t quite the right fit, this dish, along with all the other Spain dishes, lacked a certain brightness.
If that makes any sense whatsoever.
Basically, they were all very one note. And that note happened to be salty.
The Swanky Saucy Swine
This is definitely last but not least. Least would be the Spain booth…
Crispy Barbecued Pork Rinds
Does it make me weird that I’ve never had pork rinds before? Well, now I have.
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Turns out I like pork rinds. This dish does have a bit of a kick to it, in the seasoning on the pork rinds.
The amount of pimento cheese dip that they give you is more than generous. Like so generous you can eat what’s left with a spoon. Though I don’t think I’d want to do that.
Like many of the other dishes in this year’s gluten free Epcot Food and Wine Festival lineup, this is a bit “one note”. Not necessarily in bad way like some others (aka Spain), but there’s not a lot of flavor variety here.
Overall, this was tasty and I would eat it again.
Grilled Pork Shoulder Lettuce Wrap
If you want flavor variety, you get more of it over here with the pork shoulder. Just looking at it you can see all the colors, which means more flavors and textures.
Before this I never knew just how important that was to me.
This was a very good dish. The meat was very tender and easy to eat. My meat had a bit more fat mixed into it than I would have liked, but that is what happens often with pork shoulder.
While I saw other people able to pick theirs up and eat it with no problem, I had the hardest time picking them up without everything falling all over the place.
I’m still not sure if it was my technique or the fact that mine were so full of food it was almost impossible. So I ate mine with a fork. Don’t worry, it’s still delicious that way.
The lettuce and the corn salsa lend a brightness to the rest of the flavors that is welcome. Again with the pickled onions! I seriously don’t get it.
I’m not going to lie, I simple avoided them as much as possible, but for people who like them, it’s a good flavor and texture addition.
I will say, I think they were a little heavy handed with the cilantro lime crema on mine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a girl who loves sauces, cremas, and aiolis, but this was a bit too much. Since I was eating it with a fork, I was able to be more selective with the ratio of ingredients in each bite.
While I was at my table eating, I saw two different groups eating around me, all raving about it. It’s clearly a popular pick for this year.
Top 5 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Gluten Free Snacks
Now that we’ve done a general overview, it’s time rank my personal favorites. Clearly, these are the ones I’m going to recommend making a bee-line for if you are only able to get a few items.
Because of the high number of heavy, savory snacks, I recommend that you balance these suggestions out with some standard gluten free Epcot treats.
This Raspberry-Lime Macaron is one of my favorite gluten free snacks in all of Disney World, so it’s a great bet.
But anyway, back my gluten free Epcot Food and Wine Festival top picks. I’m selecting these as the best options in both flavor and bang for your buck.
5. Brazilian Cheese Bread (Brazil)
These are just such a staple of Food and Wine Festival that they HAVE to be on the list. But seriously, these unassuming looking lumps of cheese bread are a nice treat for gluten free eaters.
I mean, they’re bread!
Also, because they are once of the most affordable options in the whole festival, you get delicious food AND it won’t break your wallet.
4. Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Beef Tenderloin (Kenya)
I had a hard time choosing between this and the Grilled Pork Shoulder at The Swanky Saucy Swine, but in the end, I just gravitated toward this more.
Honestly, for me it was the combination of all the elements of the dish, but especially the sweet potato and corn mealie-pap. It just brought something a bit different to the table from the normal fare.
Between the pap, the flavor of the beef, and the brightness of the slaw, this is an all around good dish.
3. Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon (Canada)
Yes, there’s another beef option on this list, but I feel like it’s unavoidable. Even with the potential consistency issues, this is a top contender.
Where else can you sample a meal from one of Disney’s signature restaurants for a fraction of the price?
And as you can see from the picture I posted of it above, when it’s good, it’s REALLY good. In fact, that picture is probably one of the most attractive out of all of them.
This one is a splurge since it’s one of the most expensive options in the whole festival, but it’s worth it.
2. Adobo Yuca Fries (The Fry Basket)
This was the sleeper hit for me. I simply LOVED this dish. It gets bonus points for the fact that it’s the type of thing that most of us wouldn’t generally encounter.
This adds a bit of authenticity to the whole idea of the festival which is to try new things.
Between the golden, crispy cook they get on these, the flavor of the yuca itself, and the aioli that goes on top, this is a serious win for the festival.
They actually sold out of this on opening day because it was that popular.
Add in the fact that the price is on the cheaper end and you have a big winner.
1. Griddled Cheese with Pistachios and Honey (Greece)
Who would have thought that a pie wedge of cheese would be so gosh darn good?
I had this for the first time during last year’s Food and Wine Festival and was instantly smitten. Having it again this year just reinforced my love for this dish.
I don’t even know what type of cheese this is, but it’s delicious.
Again, it falls under the category of being a unique offering that you wouldn’t normal encounter.
But this combination of savory, sweet, and crunch is a dynamite combination that everyone should try. And since it is also one of the cheapest options at the festival it’s a huge win-win.
So there you have it, my top 5 picks for Epcot Food and Wine Festival gluten free snacks. I’d love to hear what your favorites end up being?
And don’t forget, the Noodle Exchange opens up August 15 with 3 more gluten free options to try. I won’t get a chance to have those, so I’d love to here your opinions on them.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the offerings this year. I was so excited going into this that I left it feeling slightly disappointed.
Maybe this was solely due to attempting to eat so many things over the span of a couple of days, but I don’t think that was all of it.
I think one major issue was the complete imbalance between sweet and savory. I mean, there was really only one sweet option to choose from.
This imbalance made everything over the course of the day feel quite heavy.
Admittedly, this won’t be a problem for most people. I definitely don’t recommend doing what I did and eating all of these over the course of 1.25 days.
I made the sacrifice so you don’t have to do it.
Here’s the approach I would recommend: pick the menu items that appeal to you the most and fit into whatever your budget is. Supplement that with some of the amazing sweet snacks you can get at Epcot year round.
France has several (macarons, macaron ice cream sandwich, parfaits, and more) while Norway has the beloved rice cream.
I think that would help to create a better balance and keep things from being to heavy on your palette.
Honestly, that’s what I think my biggest problem was, and I didn’t think it through beforehand. With only one sweet item, it was bound to be heavy and lopsided. I think if I had blended in some sweets or fruity flavors, it would have made everything else better.
So please, learn from my mistakes! If you do, I think you’ll have a great time eating the Epcot Food and Wine Festival gluten free foods.
Your Thoughts
What do you think about this year’s Epcot Food and Wine Festival gluten free menu? Are there any menu items you’re most excited about eating. Let me know in the comments below.
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