The Prague Food Festival, the gastronomic event of the year, will take place from May 25 - 27, 2012 in the Royal Garden of Prague Castle. The theme of this year´s festival is “Think globally, eat locally”. While the strapline suggests the direction the event will be taking, the festival also promises to offer a truly unique range of tastings which have never been presented in the Czech Republic before. The Prague Food Festival has been endorsed by Livia Klausova, the wife of the Czech President, and Bohuslav Svoboda, Lord Mayor of the Capital City of Prague.
Also actively joining the festival will be the Czech National Tourist Board, CzechTourism, with its project Czech Specials – Taste the Czech Republic which aims to promote traditional Czech gastronomy. The visitors to the festival will be able to taste the Czech Specials as well as enjoy them in the form of art in a performance entitled “The Art of the Czech Cuisine”. While the food will be disappearing from the plates it will be at the same time re-created on the canvas.
Many exciting innovations await visitors to The Prague Food Festival 2012. There will be 50 stands offering culinary delights of all kinds, three large tasting tents and more than 500 seats up for grabs. During the three day feast of food visitors will have the opportunity to taste delicacies served by top ten restaurants featured in the Maurer´s Grand Restaurant Guide 2012, the Czech equivalent of the famous Michelin Restaurant Guide. This year´s fourth edition of the festival will focus on unique gastronomic specialities: beetles and various insects in sweet and savoury style, an experimental laboratory, renowned French truffles, Maryland crab cakes from the USA, pear schnapps infused ice cream, mascarpone with strawberries, balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese ice cream with figs, stuffed duck stomachs and frog’s legs.
For the first time in the festival´s history there will be a market offering both Czech and international delicatessen featuring brands such as Fair Trade, Spar Premium, Country Life, Zemanka Organic Bakery, La Bottega di Aromi/Finestra and "Salaš Rýžovna“ cheese maker. There will be free tastings and gastronomic workshops in the Ball Game Hall (Micovna) of Prague Castle every hour. One of the workshops, which will be taking place on Saturday at 1:30pm, is called Czech Specials – Czech cuisine in a traditional or innovative way? It will feature a competition to win vouchers in the Czech Specials certified restaurants. The discussion promises to be very interesting and one of the many topics covered will be traditional Czech cuisine as opposed to the modern Czech gastronomy.
True to the headline “The Art of the Czech Cuisine” the dishes will not only be consumed but will also be painted and drawn. The artists from the Fine Art Studio, under the supervision of CzechTourism, will reveal a different face of Czech cuisine on each of the three days.
Apart from the Czech cuisine presented by the Czech Specials certified restaurants of Castle Hotel Chateau Mcely and Chateau St. Havel, visitors will be able to taste and buy a range of Italian products from the Mammá brand introduced by small Italian producers who remain true to the highest quality as well as the national tradition. The Extenda Agency traditionally offers the most sumptuous delicatessen and will stage its popular show from Andalucía. One of the most famous Spanish chefs Enrique Sánchez will thrill the audience with a workshop dedicated to the use of olives in the kitchen.
Ivo Dvorak, eleven times champion of the Czech sommelier competition and the winner of World Championship of Habanosommelier 2004, will be leading the commentary wine tastings. How to match your food with the correct beer is a skill that will be explained and demonstrated by Vaclav Berka, the Master Brewer of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery.
Visitors will be able to have a go at pouring their beer from a tap under the professional supervision of the 2010 world champion in beer pouring Lukas Svoboda. The most skilful candidates will be awarded the Bartender Apprentice Pilsner Urquell PFF 2012 certificate at the PU Master Bartender stand.
The festival programme will include a music band from Naples, an Andalucían flamenco show and Cuban musicians. Every day from 7 – 8pm there will be a Happy Hour and a short salsa lesson by the exoticDANCEntre dance school at the La Casa de la Havana vieja stand.
For the first time this year the festival will introduce the “Health Zone”. There will be workshops and tastings lead by nutrition specialists as well as health checks measuring blood pressure, glycaemia, body fat or water. The Interspar Fresh Bar will be offering a wide range of vegetable and fruit juices. Visitors will have the chance to taste a royal drink made of green barley.
Drinks:
Pilsner Urquell, Master, Frisco, Birell, Bacchus international wines, Bohemia Sekt Czech wines, De´Longhi coffee
List of restaurants:
AROMI / LA FINESTRA • AUREOLE / SOAVE BY AUREOLE • BELLEVUE • BUDDHA BAR •CAFÉ AMANDINE • CHATEAU MCELY, PIANO NOBILE • CHATEAU ST. HAVEL • CORINTHIA, RICKSHAW • COUNTRY LIFE • COWBOYS • FRANCOUZSKÁ REST. ART NOUVEAU • HERGETOVA CIHELNA • HUANG HE • LA CUCINA BOSCOLO • LA TRUFFE • LE GRILL & GARDEN @ KEMPINSKI • LE PATIO • ROCCO FORTE AUGUSTINE, LICHFIELD • MANDARIN ORIENTAL, ESSENSIA • MLÝNEC • MOZAIKA / KRYSTAL BISTRO • NA KOPCI • RADISSON BLU, ALCRON / LA ROTONDE • TERASA U ZLATÉ STUDNE /ARIA HOTEL, CODA • U EMY DESTINNOVÉ • U KONCE • V ZÁTIŠÍ • YASMIN, NOODLES • ŽOFÍN GARDEN
Tickets are available for particular days of the festival including the exact time and information on the best entrance to use to enter the six hectare area.
The visitors purchasing the tickets in advanced sales will receive a discount.
400 CZK in advance (includes 150 CZK entrance fee + 250 CZK package of 10 Grands for basic tasting)
450 CZK at the venue (includes 200 CZK entrance fee + 250 CZK package of 10 Grands for basic tasting)
Prague Food Festival 2012
