We’ve been hanging out at the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival so we can bring you updated pictures of all the terrific dishes that are available this year!
Today, let’s review one of the “brand new for 2012” booths — Terra Vegan Marketplace!
Terra
All new for 2012, the Terra Marketplace offers an oasis for those with a vegan diet! The dishes here feature Gardein products — vegetable protein foods that provide an alternative to traditional meats.
Trick’n Chick’n Curry with Basmati Rice featuring Gardein Chick’n Breast
I was first struck by how good this smelled when it was on the grill/griddle at the back of the Terra booth! A very impressive start!
When I got my portion, it looked tasty — and it was. The flavors in the chick’n and in the curry sauce were impressive.
Trick’n Chick’n Curry with Basmati Rice featuring Gardein Chick’n Breast
Since I’m a meat-eater, I did notice a difference in taste and texture from a regular chicken breast; this reminds me of the frozen chicken nuggets you find in the refrigerated aisle of your grocery store.
Overall — I wouldn’t choose to put this on my dinner table every night, but if you’re unable to (or choose not to) eat meat, this is a good substitute.
Chili Colorado with House made Chips & Cashew Cheese
Also at the Terra booth, the Chili Colorado is another dish that smells great while being made! This one doesn’t taste as much like beef as the chick’n tastes like chick’n, though. The texture is much softer than beef, so be expecting that.
Chili Colorado with House made Chips & Cashew Cheese, featuring Gardein Beefless Tips
The house-made chips are the best part of this dish in my opinion, and while I tried to taste the cashew cheese on its own, I didn’t get too much flavor.
I’m eager to hear what you guys think of this!
Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit Sorbet and Coconut Foam
This is the winner of the booth for me. It was not available for the first couple of days of the Festival, and I’m so glad I headed back to Terra to get it yesterday! It was Deeeeeeelicious! 🙂
Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit Sorbet and Coconut Foam
A smooth, tart Passion Fruit sorbet was the star of the show here. And the chocolate cake was moist and flavorful.
Chocolate Cake with Passion Fruit Sorbet and Coconut Foam - Cross Section
Silk Berry Smoothie
I was very disappointed in this “smoothie.” When I ordered it, I was expecting a thick, rich berry drink that you’d have to use a straw for. Nope.
Silk Berry Smoothie
Instead, this is literally a “Silk” brand berry drink straight out of a carton you could buy at your grocery store. It tastes good, but save yourself some money and get a carton on your way home.
You can see more pictures, the full menu, and prices on our Terra Booth Page!
Check out ALL of our updated food pictures on our Epcot Food and Wine Festival booth pages!
And if you’re headed to the Festival, snag our DFB Mini-Guide to the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival e-Book for a full schedule of events, touring strategies, tips and tricks, and a full section on the World Showcase booths this year!
Have you been Eating around the World at the Festival? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Wow, hanging out at food and wine just so you can bring us photos. Your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. 🙂
Is it me or are the food plates and containers different this year?
While not a vegetarian myself, I am curious enough to try the Terra booth. We have an excellent vegan restaurant down here called Sublime so I’m definitely hoping the F&W food is somewhat comparable. I’m a little disappointed in the smoothie though. Like you AJ I was hoping it was a traditional thick smoothie that just happened to be made with Silk (which I don’t understand why they wouldn’t as it can easily be done).
Thanks for the post! I saw there was a “vegan trio” at the Intermissions Cafe at the festival pavilion, do you know anything about that?
As a vegan who will be experiencing F&W for the first time next week (headed to WDW a week from today!!!), I am super excited that this booth is there! Everything looks awesome (minus the smoothie)!!! I give Disney big points for remembering that people who don’t eat animal products still enjoy tasty, fun food 🙂
The cake looks really yummy and I would have been disappointed in the smoothie, too.
We tried this out the first weekend of F&W so the cake wasn’t available but the Trick’n Chick’n and Chili Colorado were really good. So very happy Disney is considering vegan options! FYI- the chef at Terra told us that the wines there were not vegan and to get wine at Florida Local instead. We went to Florida Local and they did confirm that both of their wines were vegan- found it odd that Terra wouldn’t have vegan wine (chef commented on that as well)
@Niki…I thought I read on Deb’s review at All Ears that the wines were vegan. Weird. You’re right…everything at the booth should have been vegan.
Aj- any chance you could work your magic and get the recipe for the chili? I’m a pescetarian and this was the best thing I ate at the festival! I’m dying to recreate it at home!
@Sandy, the Colorado Chili Recipe is in this year’s festival cookbook. So it should be really easy to make at home once you have the cookbook!
My favorite thing was actually the chili, I loved the seasoning that was used on the “beef.” The curry and cake I didn’t really care for, I didn’t find either bad, but I didn’t feel the need to have a second helping of either of them.
I don’t understand how fermented grapes aren’t vegan. I thought vegan meant no animal products at all. I do understand that the wines at the vegan booth are organic. Why aren’t they vegan?
Jules — non vegan wines use egg albumin to strain the wine
Very happy to see a vegan booth that my 13 year old vegetarian can enjoy. She has been vegetarian for many years and often her only option when we eat out is a salad. Glad to see Disney catering to those who do not consume animal products and we look forward to visiting Terra during our upcoming vacation.
Chili and desert were awesome! Chips with the chili also made for good finger food eating.
I’m really disappointed I didn’t get a chance to taste the chili, but I liked the “chicken” curry. Unfortunately, the person staffing the booth on October 2 couldn’t get my gift card to work the first time (and commented that he’d had the same problem earlier in the day, so my question, why wasn’t this addressed? Oh, well.) I’d planned to visit terra twice but instead only made it once for that reason. I’d also like to see more vegetarian and vegan offerings, and even more vegetable selections among the other booths. Very protein heavy. Still, I had a great time.
As a long time vegetarian I was extremely excited to see the Terra stand at Food and Wine. I’m not a huge fan of Gardein products, but decided to give it a whirl and I’m glad I did. The Chili Colorado was fantastic! I loved everything about it! My meat eating fiancé actually loved it also (and he’s not a huge fan of fake meat) and couldn’t stop commenting on how great it tasted! I’ll admit that I’m not a very adventurous vegetarian, so the cashew cheese worried me a little, but after trying the dish I’m eager to get the recipe and make it again. Kudos Disney for adding Terra to the 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festivel!! 🙂
I was extremely pleased to see a vegan booth at the festival this year. One point of constructive criticism: There were two choices at the vegan booth this year: pretend chicken and pretend beef chili. Vegans eat vegetables. We can do amazing things with them. Fake meat can have its place (if it must), but it is most often used as a garnish to a dish made primarily of vegetables.
I would encourage the organizers to keep the booth next year – and to explore vegatable dishes so that people can see what vegan cooking really is. Falafel is vegan. Stuffed mushrooms, bean tacos, fried eggplant, lettuce wraps, vegetable curry, pasta pomodoro, bruschetta – colorful, beautiful food that can be prepared with the most complex gourmet flavors and textures. There are a few vegan restaurants right in Orlando.