The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020
2020 has certainly been a year we will all remember. Our beloved Disney World has certainly seen its share of changes this year. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020 version has continued to transform, starting with its opening day July 15th, and continuing until November 22nd. This will be the longest food & wine festival ever at Epcot.
Many of the menu items have also changed throughout the festival. We will continue to update this page to accommodate those changes. Because of the short span of the Flower and Garden Festival, many of the items were carried over here in the beginning.
As always, we try to speak with as many chefs as possible to find out about ways to make items fit a paleo, keto, or gluten-free diet. Please know that some items that are gluten-friendly are not always marked. Also, suppliers may change at any time, altering the content of the recipe. Always ask to speak to a chef if you have any questions. Finally, remember that even if an item is marked gluten-friendly, there is still a risk of cross-contamination at the food booths. If you have an allergy to gluten, dairy, or any other foods, keep this in mind.
Many of the photos used below are from past festivals. Only the photos from Mexico and Flavors from Fire are from The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020. Keep in mind again that we are going off past festivals in our reviews below. Booths not listed have no options at all.
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020 Gluten-Free Foods
I was not able to speak with a Disney chef at The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020 this year, but I did get to speak with Chef Ernesto again in the Mexico Pavilion. I absolutely adore Chef Ernesto, and his focus is on providing healthy foods to his guests. Might I also say they are usually among the most delicious of all the festival booths. For that reason, I will start with Mexico.
Mexico
Although not marked, the Ribeye Taco is a gluten-friendly item. The ribeye steak is cooked on a flattop, and ingredients in the dish include citrus (lime), tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, chipotle, serrano peppers, and onions. In the first picture below, you will see the Ribeye Taco as it is served. The second picture shows it without the onions and salsa. For those on a paleo or keto diet, you can also ask for the meat without the corn tortilla. The ribeye is so flavorful that it does not need anything else.
The second item in Mexico is the Pork Tostada. The fried corn tortilla is what makes this a gluten-containing dish. However, if you ask to substitute the fried tortilla for the one used for the Ribeye Taco, you will have another option for a gluten-free item. While beans are not allowed on a traditional paleo or keto diet, for those who do eat them, you are in for a treat. The chipotle black beans are made with onion, garlic, water, and vegetable stock, and of course, chipotle. The dish is served with a fresh salsa verde and onions. In the first picture below, you will see the Pork Tostada as it is naturally served; the second is just of the meat with the salsa, microgreens, and onions. Again, I was more than content just to eat that flavorful meat.
Africa
Nothing is marked gluten-friendly at this booth, although you might be able to omit the couscous from the Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp for a paleo or keto option. Please check with a chef.
The Alps
Keto dieters may be able to get the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese without any bread. Please check at the booth for more information.
Appleseed Orchard
The Charcuterie and Cheese Plate is a possible item for keto dieters, minus the crackers and the aged maple syrup.
Brazil
Both items at this booth are marked gluten-friendly.
The Crispy Pork Belly is one of the gluten-friendly Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020 options, but in the past, it did contain sugar and soybean oils, so be sure to check if those are issues for you. The Pico on top, which can be left off, contains canola oil.
Brazilian Cheese Bread, which contains cassava flour, is a favorite of many gluten-free people.
Canada
Only the Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce is gluten-friendly. You can also omit the sauce to skip the corn starch and canola oil. There is egg yolk in the truffle butter.
Citrus Blossom
This booth is a leftover from the International Flower & Garden Festival. One of my personal favorite items is the Lobster Tail, with a Meyer lemon emulsion. The dish contains dairy (butter).
Another option is the Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aïoli and Baby Greens. There is corn in the gluten-friendly panko crumbs, as well as soy in the flour, along with butter and eggs.
Earth Eats
The gluten-friendly Chocolate Pudding Terrarium with Avocado Cream, Matcha Crumble, and Baby Herbs was a favorite of our its first year. The recipe has changed a bit and we were not fans this year.
Flavors From Fire
Often one of our favorite booths, Flavors From Fire opened later in the festival this year. Sadly, we were not as impressed this time around. While nothing is marked GF, there are some ingredients you can omit to make these dishes work for your diet.
The Corned Beef Corner Route features smoked corned beef with crispy potatoes, cheese curds, pickled onions, and beer-cheese fondue. The beer-cheese fondue contains gluten, so omit that item. Of course, many people on paleo and keto diets do not eat potatoes, so that would also be omitted. I will say the portion of corned beef was huge and is good all by itself.
The Chimichurri-up Offense features charred chimichurri skirt steak on a smoked corn cake with pickled vegetable slaw and cilantro aioli. My small taste of the corn cake brought a huge improvement over the previous versions. While you can omit that, if someone in your group eats corn, dairy, eggs, and gluten, you can ask for this on the side, and they will likely enjoy it. In the past, the steak has contained canola oil and herbs. There are canola and sugar in the slaw, and, most likely, soybean oil and egg yolks in the cilantro aïoli.
As always, I try to check out some items that are definitely not GF but might make good cheats for those without allergies. The S’mores Whoopie Pio-Ion tasted great after the first bite – but that was it. Not a recommendation for a cheat-worthy option.
Germany
Although nothing is marked gluten-friendly, many people opt for the Roast Bratwurst without the Pretzel Roll. In the past, the bratwurst was free of all top 8 allergens, corn, and sugar. There is sugar in the mustard, so if you are avoiding that, just skip the mustard.
Hops & Barley
You can get the lobster from the New England Lobster Roll without the bread, but there is sugar, soybean oil, and egg yolks in the mayonnaise. Since the other lobster is available during this festival, that is the better option.
Islands of the Caribbean
The Jerk-spiced Chicken with Roasted Sweet Plantain Salad and Mango Chutney Yogurt is a gluten-friendly dish. While it is not paleo or keto-friendly due to the corn syrup and yogurt in the chutney, or the sugar and canola in the chicken, it is an excellent item.
Spain
This booth is questionable as nothing is listed GF, although in the past the ingredients for the Charcuterie and Paella did not list any gluten. Check with a chef if you have questions.
There you have it – our review of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2020 options. You can find photos of items from past festivals in the following blogs:
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2020
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2019
Stay safe, wear a mask, and we will see you again soon.