Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021
It is that wonderful time of year – although a month earlier than usual – and everyone is excited about the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021. Why? Because there are more gluten-friendly offerings than ever before – even some that are not marked that way!
Yes, it certainly seems that Disney has listened to our gluten-free community to bring us more items that we could enjoy. For those who are vegan, as well, you will find some gluten-friendly plant-based options to enjoy.
Where do I begin this year with so much to discuss? There is so much information that I gathered from my time with the amazingly wonderful Chefs Donald and Nathan. Chef Donald can usually be found at Biergarten in Germany, while Chef Nathan calls Le Cellier Steakhouse home base. However, they are here assisting guests for the next few months during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021. If you are lucky enough to meet one or both of the Dynamic Duo (as my daughter named them), make sure to tell them thank you for all the information they provided.
There is some confusion as to whether the food booths have allergy binders listing the ingredients. Whether they do or do not, if you have a food allergy, please ALWAYS ask to consult with a chef. Suppliers can change, and any information they may have could be different. Also, please remember that there is a risk of cross-contamination at the food booths due to their small quarters and everything being prepared in central kitchens. Per the chefs, the binders have only generalized information, not all the ingredients.
I have been asked this year to add onions and garlic to my long list of ingredients for people who are on a low fodmap diet. I had extensive experience with that last fall as my daughter was on that diet, as well. In the past, I have focused on gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, soy, and canola oil. As we all know, canola or the canola/olive oil blend is the primary oil used throughout the resorts and parks. Know that going in you cannot change that at the booths.
Also, please note that although I include a lot of ingredients in the lists below, they are not, by any means, all that is in the dishes. If you have any allergies, please always ask. I have done my best to provide accurate information. Please remember, I do not work for Disney, and am here to provide the best information I can. When in doubt – ask. That is what the chefs are there for.
Are you hungry and ready to discover what you can eat? Here we go in order of your festival passport – all the booths available that opened July 15th. We will place the October 1st offerings in a second blog.
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
While I do not have information on these booths, I do want to share the one drink I did try – the Tropical Tea Breeze near Canada. The drink is a refreshing mixture of iced tea and frozen lemonade with a splash of coconut syrup. It is non-alcoholic and has a very strong lemon taste. The frozen lemonade and ice melted rapidly in the hot afternoon heat. We were on our way out, so I stopped at the exit location for more ice. Individuals who like tea and lemonade mixed together will likely enjoy this drink.
Earth Eats
The plant-based items at this booth are made with Impossible Burger items. Please note that they contain soy (three forms), potato protein, coconut oil, sunflower oils, modified food starch, yeast extract, and other ingredients that can be found on their website. Because the burger also contains an allium derivative from the family of plants including onions, shallots, and garlic, these items are not recommended for people on a low fodmap diet.
The Impossible Burger Slider – uses a gluten-containing form of soy, so it is NOT going to be gluten-friendly without the bun.
The Impossible Three-Bean Chili (GF) – it does contain soy, coconut, and corn.
The Noodle Exchange
One of the most exciting new booths at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021 is The Noodle Exchange. Here, you will find that 3 out of the 4 food items are marked with a “G” for gluten-friendly. My only complaint here is that the broth is on the spicy side, which some people may not enjoy. The beef pho was on the borderline for us – any more spice and it would have been too hot. I heard the tofu bowl is even spicier.
That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed it, and there is more than enough to share. I do wish they would have cut the meat into smaller pieces as it was hard to eat. Take a fork and knife with you. All pho dishes contain rice noodles.
The vegetable broth used as a base for the Beef and Tofu bowls does contain onion.
Traditional Spicy Vietnamese Beef Pho (GF) – onion, lemongrass, mushrooms, peppers pickled in vinegar, coconut, and ginger are some of the ingredients in this bowl.
Char Siu Pork Udon – swapping the noodles is not an option to make this bowl gluten-friendly. There is also wheat in the hoisin marinade. The dish also contains soy, corn, egg, sugar, garlic, and onions.
Shrimp and Coconut Curry Rice Noodles (GF) – the broth or bowl contains both fish and shellfish, distilled rice vinegar, canola oil, corn syrup, brown sugar, shallots, and garlic, among other ingredients.
Tofu Pho (GF) – the tofu bowl uses the same vegetable broth as the beef bowl and also has a siracha sauce (making it even spicier) that contains added garlic. You can omit the sauce, as well as the added onions. Still not a low-fodmap item.
Shimmering Sips
We have a surprise for you – both items here are possible for a gluten-friendly diet.
Shimmering Strawberry Soft-serve – omit the waffle cone and ask for your treat in a cup to make this GF. Of course, there is plenty of milk, cream, sugar, and corn-derived dextrose in the soft-serve.
Banana Bread – now, for one of the big surprises of the festival, the plant-based banana bread with mixed berry compote is gluten-friendly. The flour base includes rice flour, potato starch, sorghum, and tapioca. Some of the other ingredients to note include ginger, nutmeg, Earth Balance (contains soy), apple cider vinegar, vanilla, banana, “cooking cream” (includes non-dairy rice milk, corn starch, pea protein, and other ingredients). Please avoid this if you cannot have rice, corn, or soy. You should also avoid this item if you cannot eat nuts. (We do not cover nut allergies, but wanted to point it out on this item.)
Australia
Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp (GF) – the shrimp here is served with pineapple, pepper, onion, and snap peas. There is onion, garlic, sugar, canola oil, and soybean miso in this dish. The sweet chili sauce, which you may be able to omit, contains soy sauce.
Roasted Lamb Chop (GF) – The lamb chop by itself contains canola oil, corn syrup, and sugar. The sweet potato puree has added butter and milk. If you omit the puree and the glaze, you will have a dish that is dairy-friendly. The bush berry pea salad contains shallots, onion, garlic, sugar, and canola oil. If you are ok with canola oil, corn syrup, and sugar, you can ask for the lamb chop alone.
Deconstructed Pavlova (GF) – if you want a gluten-friendly dessert and do not mind a lot of sugar, this may be the dish for you. The pavlova contains sugar, pastry cream (milk and cream), meringue (sugar and eggs), citrus simple syrup for the berries (more sugar), and strawberry curls (milk powder, sugar, and soy lecithin).
Refreshment Port
Absolutely NOTHING at this booth can be prepared gluten-friendly – move on.
Canada
Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup – served with a pretzel roll, the soup has onion, garlic, gluten, and dairy. Because the soup contains beer, it is not gluten-friendly. However, Chef Nathan has said that if you make reservations for the restaurant – Le Cellier Steakhouse, notate in the allergy comments that you would like a chef to call you in advance. They can make it GF with prior notice.
“Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon (GF) – the steak by itself contains only canola oil, salt, and pepper – making it a great choice for anyone on a paleo, keto, or low-fodmap diet! The sauce contains corn starch, garlic, and canola, while there is egg yolk, butterfat, and butter in the truffle butter.
Apple Orchard
Housed inside the Canada Theater you find Apple Orchard. It is worth the stroll through the lovely gardens to visit this booth.
Apple Chips (GF) – although a gluten-friendly snack, my issue is with the manufacturer Seneca Foods for adding corn syrup to a healthy snack. There is also safflower, sunflower, or canola oil.
Frozen Apple Pie – I do not usually cover drinks – I would need many blogs for that, this one sounded too interesting to pass up. If you omit the streusel topping, it is both dairy and gluten-friendly. However, it does have corn syrup and sugar. The “drink” is exceptionally sweet and melts quickly. The clump of apple pie filling at the bottom would have been better if it had been mixed in. One and done for this item.
France
We do not often get gluten-friendly treats at the festival booths in France, so when we do, it is worth celebrating. For those who are looking for a savory treat, keep moving. Actually, not for long. Come October, we will have gluten-friendly galettes, and I cannot wait! However, if you are like me, and have a major sweet tooth, you are in for a treat.
The Crème Brûlée au Grand Marnier is the same vanilla cream one you can get inside the bakery or at Les Chefs de France, with the addition of Grand Marnier, which is gluten-free.
Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina
Not only is Tangierine Café open as an additional spot for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021, but they have also opened up the main restaurant as a seating and relaxation area. You can take your food inside to get out of the hot Florida heat. Obviously, the bread and dips and the pistachio cake are not GF.
Fried Falafel Pita – omit the bread to make this a gluten-friendly dish. There is a lot of onion and garlic in the dish. The falafel is fried in canola oil, as is much of what you get fried at Epcot.
Grilled Kebabs – omit couscous and the kabobs are another gluten-friendly option.
- Lemon-Garlic Chicken – the kabobs contain garlic, ginger, and yogurt. There is additional garlic and onion in the sauce or salad.
- Moroccan Spiced Lamb – the only issue here is the canola from the grill. The spiced lamb should be ok for a keto, paleo, and low-fodmap diet. Please double check with a chef before ordering.
- Harissa-marinated Beef Tenderloin Tips – there is garlic and olive oil in the marinade for the beef, as well as canola on the grill. The garlic sauce contains mayonnaise and onion.
Greece
Our stop in Greece includes one of my favorite dishes – which will be keto-friendly if you omit the honey. That is also the only gluten-friendly item at this booth.
Griddled Cheese (GF) – take Drunken Goat cheese, grill it, top it with honey and pistachios, and enjoy. Seriously, WOW! Keto dieters can omit the honey.
Japan
I do not have any information at this time on the booth in Japan.
Hops and Barley
The mayonnaise used throughout the festival does contain soybean oil, sugar, and egg yolks. If you avoid or are allergic to those ingredients, stay away from anything with mayonnaise, including the lobster roll.
New England Lobster Roll – omit bun and you will have a gluten-friendly option. Unlike last year, where the lobster was prepared in butter and then mixed with the mayonnaise, now it is already combined, so you cannot get it without the added sugar, soybean oil, and egg yolks in the mayo.
Hot Beef Sandwich – omit the bread and you have another gluten-friendly option. There is no dairy in this dish. The meat is shaved this year, and the beef jus contains corn protein, sugar, onion, and garlic. There is also mayonnaise in this dish.
Rotunda Bistro
Chilled Smoked Shrimp Salad (GF) – the rub has brown sugar and canola oil. The remoulade has soybean oil, sugar, garlic, onion, shallots, chives, sour cream, and honey.
Wild Mushroom and Truffle Tart – you may want to avoid this item if you have a shellfish allergy as there is a cross-contamination risk at this small booth.
Chilled Crab and Avocado Parfait (GF) – the crab mix contains chives, there are shallots, garlic, and the oil blend in the puree.
Italy
Pure gluten at this booth. Move ahead.
Germany
All items contain gluten, however, if you omit the pretzel roll, the roast bratwurst is gluten-friendly.
Roast Bratwurst – omit pretzel roll for GF, there is sugar in the mustard, and canola in the dish.
Refreshment outpost
Spicy Githeri – this plant-based item contains gluten (red wheat berries) in the ancient grains medley. You can omit the grains and enjoy the bean and lentil stew for a gluten-friendly dish. Please note that it does contain onions, garlic, and corn.
China
All items contain gluten, as they usually do.
Mexico
Mexico is always one of my favorite booths to visit, as it gives me a chance to spend time with the wonderful Chef Ernesto. He takes such pride in the food he prepares, not only for the festivals but also for the restaurants. They have three dedicated gluten-free fryers that they use to prepare the chips for all of Mexico. Rest assured; this is one of the best countries for anyone who is gluten-free. Although not marked, both non-dessert items are gluten-friendly.
Chilaquiles con Chorizo (GF) – the chorizo does contain garlic and onion, so do not get this dish if on a low-fodmap diet. You can consider this dish a Mexican-style lasagna, and there is no way to omit the corn. My daughter declared it one of her favorite dishes this year.
Taco de Ribeye (GF) – the ribeye steak is cooked on a flat top, and is tender and perfect on its own, for anyone who does not eat corn. Simply omit the tortilla and grab a fork. I believe the meat is also ok by itself for a low fodmap diet. Please double-check with the chef. Ingredients in the salsa include garlic and onion. There is also ranchero sauce and cheese added to the taco this year.
Capirotada de Chocolate – ok, my weakness, or one of many, is bread pudding. Just look at that picture below – who can resist bread pudding floating in a sea of chocolate crème anglaise? If you are going to cheat – may I recommend this one? You bet!
Swanky Saucy Swine
I have to admit – this booth kind of turned me off until I sat and discussed it with the chefs. I have also checked out many of the other Disney bloggers who have raved about the food here, and I will be checking it out on a future visit. I will let you know on Instagram and Facebook when I have updated this blog.
Crispy Barbecue Pork Rinds (GF) – I hear these are a bit spicy but work well with the pimento cheese. The dish does contain brown sugar, garlic, onion, and cheese. They are fried in canola oil and the mayonnaise in the pimento cheese is the same mentioned earlier.
Roasted Porchetta (GF) – a roasted, not fried dish, the porchetta contains a lot of garlic but no onion. It is made with olive oil. The potatoes are cooked in porchetta fat.
Soy-glazed Sticky Ribs – shellfish allergies beware, there is fish sauce in this dish. For those who do not know, fish sauce contains shellfish. There is also corn starch, soy, brown sugar, garlic, and onion.
Crispy Pig Ear Salad (GF) – I could not fathom trying this until I saw a picture – it looks too good to pass up. The chefs have assured me it is delish! The pig ears are braised in chicken stock, which contains corn and onion. The roasted tomatillo sauce contains vinegar and canola oil. The avocado cream contains soybean oil, onion, garlic, and the usual mayonnaise. The corn salsa has corn, onion, and canola. There is also Queso Fresco, which contains dairy. You may be able to omit that for a dairy-free dish. Please double-check at the booth.
Hawaii
I have a surprise for you – the passion fruit cheesecake is gluten-friendly.
Kalua Pork Slider – there is soy (soy sauce containing wheat), onion, garlic, and sugar, so even omitting the bread does NOT make this a gluten-friendly dish.
Tuna Poke – again, soy sauce (contains wheat) in the teriyaki sauce makes it impossible for the premixed tuna to be gluten-free. The spicy mayo uses the same mayonnaise mentioned earlier as its base. If you are avoiding onions, you can omit the green onion garnish if you can eat soy, sugar, and egg.
Passion Fruit Cheesecake (GF) – there is no soy or corn in this dessert. You will find dairy, macadamia nuts, sugar, and eggs. Is this a dessert worth trying – YES! I cannot wait to have it again. I know – not paleo, but a girl has to cheat occasionally. Besides, I love cheesecake even more than I love bread pudding!
Brew Wing
Ok, I know, what is better than beer and chicken wings? To be honest, beer and anything else at this festival. I highly recommend spending your money elsewhere. 5 very small wings for $7.50 – not worth it. They do come with two sticks of celery and your choice of a packet of Ken’s ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Make sure you get some little hand wipes at the same time – you will need them. By the way, for those on a strict paleo, keto, or low-fodmap diet, you can ask for them to be made plain, without any sauce. All wings are fried in canola oil before being tossed in their sauce. The only seasoning before the sauce is salt and pepper.
Garlic-Parmesan Wings (GF) – garlic, shallots, and parmesan cheese.
Barbecue Wings (GF) – sugar, onion, garlic, distilled vinegar, potato starch, molasses, mustard, paprika, chili powder, and maltodextrin are some of the ingredients.
Teriyaki-Sesame Wings – these are not gluten-friendly due to the soy in the hoisin sauce. They also contain garlic, shallots, fish sauce and oyster sauce (shellfish allergy alert).
Traditional Buffalo Wings (GF) – Worcestershire sauce (fish/anchovy alert), butter, garlic, Earth Balance (soy).
Mango-Habanero Wings (GF) – sugar, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, mango, mango nectar, habanero pepper. These are very spicy; our mouths were on fire. There is no taste of mango – only heat!
Donut Box
I know I do not need to tell you that these donuts are NOT gluten-free. However, let us take a look at what they have to offer just in case you were thinking about cheating. I did get the Strawberry Smoothie on the way out, and it did not have the donut that I have seen in other posts. I would say I felt gypped except for the fact that the donut is not good. My daughter did not like the smoothie at all.
Candy Jar Donut – only the topping was any good. The donut itself was dry and tasteless. Go buy the candy, instead.
Chef’s Donut of the Day – we had a lemon-blueberry donut that was fairly good. The lemon filling was smooth. Not worth the cost, though.
Crispy Chicken on a Siracha-glazed Donut – from reviews that I have read, the donut, which is the same as the candy jar donut, is dry. This is another hard pass.
Flavors from Fire
The Corned Beef Corner Route –the only gluten is in the beer cheese fondue, which has both beer and flour. You can easily omit that for a gluten-friendly dish, and also skip the cheese curds to make it dairy-free as well. The corned beef contains sugar and garlic. The chips are fried in a soy/canola oil. There is sugar in the pickled onions, which you can also leave off. As you can see in the photos below, we got the cheese fondue on the side for my daughter.
The Chimichurri-up Offense (GF) – the steak contains garlic, onion, and canola oil in the marinade. It comes on a corn cake which has corn, milk, eggs, and salt. You can omit the corn cake for a paleo and keto-friendly dish if you do not eat corn. You can also opt to just have the meat for paleo and keto diets. The cilantro aioli contains sour cream, garlic, onion, and mayonnaise (egg and soy, as previously mentioned). *Please note that this dish is listed GF on the sign but not in the passport. It is a gluten-friendly item.
The S’mores Whoopie Pie-lon – for our last item, we will not discuss ingredients. Unless you have an allergy, if you want a cheat, this one is a great option. They changed the recipe from last year, which I did not like at all. It went into the garbage. This one – well, let’s just say, I had to be really good after eating it.
There you have it, our wrap-up of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021. I know it was a long blog, but there was so much information to share. Hopefully, it will help you make decisions at the festival. Check out part 2 – where we discuss all the new booths coming in October. For now, check out all that is happening at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2021 here.