Three 'Cheers' for Mickey Mouse

WHEN I received Walt Disney's invitation to visit Orlando in Florida for its food and wine ("Go beyond the theme parks!"), I must confess I did not think it was a frightfully big idea. I had no opinion on American food. But if I seriously wanted to experience it, I would go to New York. And for its wines, to California. Certainly not Orlando! However, a closer look at the invitation revealed that I had been invited to Walt Disney World for an international food and wine festival ("Nibble your way around the world," the card said), and not just the fun and games at its theme parks. I accepted.

I'm told this is the fifth time Walt Disney is doing something like this. They call it the annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. It is a world showcase that draws master chefs and wine experts from over 30 countries to Walt Disney World. You attend food and wine pairings, catch advanced wine seminars and culinary demonstrations, wine and dine at winemakers' dinners and grand tasting ceremonies, and come away feeling that the bottom line was the celebration of the human spirit. I'm not a Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck person, but I'll admit, this sort of thing perhaps only Walt Disney can carry off.

The Epcot Centre at Walt Disney World had been converted into a huge food pavilion where you could walk about freely and enjoy the food and wines on offer. No charge! And like the food and wine, each station architecturally represented its country. The Eiffel Tower for France, windmills for Holland, Big Ben for England, a pagoda for Japan, thatched village for Africa, and so on. It was all spread over a huge area and around a lagoon on whose waters an illuminations show called Reflections Of Earth was held nightly. But to get up close and personal with the chefs and vintners, you had to be invited to the three Epicurean Diner Experiences. Fortunately, I was.

I will describe them briefly. The first was a Grand Tasting. It was about discovery. About exploration. And experience. I grazed from station to station sampling the celebrity chefs' savoury creations. A little of this, a little that, my palate being pampered by the velvety nectars featured by guest vintners. And all the while, festive music played. Then there was a Winemakers' Dinner, casual yet elegant, my tastebuds taken on a culinary journey with wines meticulously selected by the vintners to match the dinner. A treat for the senses, with live entertainment. And a Reserve Dinner, a celebration of the world's finest wines, this time the food meant to match the wines, master chefs cooking each course on the spot to go with the selected reserve quality bottles. My invitation to the Epicurean Diner Experiences had said, "Your table has been set for an amazing adventure in food and wine... ranging from the fun and festive to the elegant and delectable." All perfectly true.

So, what did I eat and drink at the Epcot food pavilions. I shall tell. In the South East Asia pavilion, Chicken Satay, Prawn Crackers with Peanut Sauce and Red Dragon Xtreme Beer. Norway, Venison Stew, Lefse with Salmon and Sirah wine. Russia, Beef Stroganoff and Baba Au Rum with Siberian Milkshake. Mexico, Quesadilla Co Chorizo with Flor de Guadalpule Zinfandel wine. Brazil, Grilled Chicken with Farofa and Antartica Beer. Switzerland, Raclette with Red-skin Potato and Morandell Blaufrankisch wine. Poland, Kulebiak with Okocim Beer. Greece, Pork Souvlaki, Baklava and Athena Beer. Canada, Maple Glazed Salmon and Pelee Island Blanc de Blanc wine. New Zealand, Lamb Chops with Kiwi Spritzer. Scotland, Smoked Salmon with Scotch. Spain, Gazpacho with Sandeman Port. France, Coq au Vin with Chateau Greysac Medoc wine. The Mediterranean, Marrakesh Combo with Casablanca Beer. Japan, Golden Shrimp Edamame with Ozeki Sake. Chile, Beef Tenderloin with Salsa and Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Australia, Oysters with a Semillon-Chardonnay wine. Italy, Polenta with Chicken and Sausage and Volpolicella wine. Germany, Beef Roulade with a Reisling wine. Africa, Sugarcane Chicken Sticks with Chardonnay wine. China, Cold Sesame Noodles with Tsingtao Beer. Exhausted? Imagine me!

And I loafed around the 22 marketplaces of the Epcot Centre, tasting the culinary specialities of 30 Walt Disney World restaurants, tasting sumptuous chocolate, exquisite champagnes and out of this world cognacs. I browsed through a collection of 160 of the world's finest wines and came away with two bottles of Sauternes. I went into gourmet markets and bought themed merchandise, gourmet food products and cookbooks written by the visiting masterchefs. The culinary demonstrations I attended, a Japanese sushi, Chinese noodle pulling, and French escargot, and I helped the chefs to construct a Nestle Hall Cookie. I learnt about Chardonnay and cultivated my palate by finding the flavours and smells associated with wine. And I did all this over four days only! The theme parks, roller coasters, Mickey and Donald, I'll take in the next time I visit Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. But he was there with me every sip and bite, was Mickey Mouse. Three cheers for him!