EPCOT basically hosts a year-round festival nowadays, which means there’s almost always some new limited-time dish or beverage to try! EPCOT’s International Festival of Holidays is the current seasonal event happening around the park, and we tried a few different dishes found at the Holiday Kitchens (aka festival food booths). Here are some highlights you must try, along with a few not-so good options you should probably avoid.
Must Do: Shi-Wasu Holiday Kitchen, Japan
Sushi Tree Roll | $7.50 | Christmas tree-shaped sushi roll with crab meat and cream cheese, topped with Ikura salmon roe and spicy mayo.
This holiday sushi offering looks different from years past, where the rice itself was Christmas tree-shaped, but I feel like you get a lot more sushi for the money this time around. The krab and cream cheese are a refreshing and satisfying combo, with the spicy mayo completing the sweet + heat flavor profile. (I always ask for a little extra on the side!)
Must-Do: Refreshment Outpost, between China and Germany
Peanut Stew | $5.25 | with sweet potatoes, mustard greens, and roasted peanuts, served over white rice.
This was the deal of the day in our eyes… and stomachs. This dish is on the spicier side, but we all loved it! I compared it to adding peanut butter to Indian butter chicken (which I do often at home). The spicy peanut flavors combined with the starchy potatoes and rice serves up a nice comfort food. Pair this with a rare chilly EPCOT day and you’re set.
Must-Do (and Don’t!): Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen, Mexico
Holiday Margarita | $14 | Dos Hombres Mexcal, Tequila, Cranberry Lime Juice, Allspice, Orange & Blackcurrant Liqueurs
If you’re a 21+ beverage enjoyer, don’t pass up this smoky selection. Honestly, this one tasted just like you’re drinking the burning Rome scene inside Spaceship Earth. How can you go wrong? You can still taste the cranberry, lime, and orange flavors lightly shining through; but ultimately, that smokiness takes over. While there’s a lot of ice in the cup, the size felt a little more reasonable for the steep mini margarita price.
As for the one to avoid…
Empanada de Pollo | $8 | Fried corn tortilla filled with chipotle chicken and potatoes, topped with Chile rojo salsa, crema Mexicana, and queso fresco.
While the flavors were decent enough here, it was rather oily and closely resembled something you could get in your grocery store’s frozen aisle. Our biggest reason on avoiding this one? The empanada was far too small for the high $8 price point for one. It would feel a little more justified if $8 included two, or was priced at $4.50 for the one. You’re not missing anything special with this one. Save your money for another snack (or drink)!
Must-Have: American Holiday Table, The American Adventure
Blackened Catfish | $6.75 | with Hoppin’ John and Comeback Sauce, served over beans and white rice.
This was another one of our best deals of the fest! For the low price of $6.75, this was a hearty little meal of a dish. The catfish was really tender, and possessed a Cajun-spiced like flavor. The beans and rice were also nicely spiced. Did we mention it’s gluten free?
Uh oh, what’s that? We have one more “avoid that“, also found at the American Holiday table booth:
SNICKERS-Doodle Cookie | $3.25 | made with SNICKERS bar pieces
I saw photos of this cookie on festival boards around the park, and it looked pretty promising. Sadly, the real thing barely resembled the photo, and is literally just a sugar cookie with some SNICKERS bar remnants quickly broiled into the top. There was no chocolate bar pieces in the dough, and the cookie itself didn’t possess any typical cinnamon snickerdoodle flavors. Luckily, this one is on the lower $3 side, but there was nothing snickerdoodle, or really that much SNICKERS bar, about this cookie. Avoid it!
See anything you’d like to try… or avoid? I hope this helps if only a little with your festival food planning! EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays runs now through December 30th, 2024.
