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Photo by: Jon Whittle

Executive chef Jens Dahlmann is in charge of one of the biggest culinary festivals in the country: the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Oct. 1-Nov. 14. “The sheer size of the festival—it runs 45 days—makes it one of the longest running in the country,” says the Germany-born chef. Together with festival chef Al Youngman and chef-turned-wine-specialist Marianne Hunnel, the team creates and tests every dish sold at the 27 international kiosks, making sure each is an authentic representation. “The way to enjoy the food is to stroll around leisurely [from kiosk to kiosk] and let the aromas and flavors transport you to the country whose food you are tasting,” says Dahlmann. This year the festival celebrates its 15th anniversary with new countries and dishes: Belgium’s steamed mussels and baked waffles (“You’ll be drawn in by the yeasty vanilla aroma,” says Dahlmann); Singapore’s street version of shrimp cake with curry; and South Korea’s barbecue pork with kimchi, a sweet-and-sour pickled-cucumber salad with a fiery kick. Peek into the kiosks, and you’ll find steamers, waffle irons and flat tops where cooks prepare the food before your eyes (translation: very fresh). As for wines, the subtly sweet South Korean Bohae Bokbunjajoo made from black raspberries is a Hunnel fave. “We select wines that we know are the best from each country,” she explains. The festival’s wine shop includes almost every wine served, and for those who want to re-create the dishes they tasted, the festival’s anniversary cookbook, Celebrating 15 Years of Delicious Discoveries, features top sellers like Canada’s cheddar soup as well as retro trivia to challenge the Disney foodie who hasn’t missed a festival yet.