LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2025

INSIDE SCOOP

SAVE THE DATE Top Food Festivals While pondering your next vacation, consider working an acclaimed food festival into your visit. These four events offer immersive experi ences around favourite foods from ramen to chicken wings. —MS NATIONAL BUFFALO WING FESTIVAL Buffalo, N.Y. (Aug. 30 and 31) Over its 22-year history, an estimated 5.7 million chicken wings have been consumed at this fête. Events range from an amateur “sauce off” to a hot wing–eating contest. buffalowing.com NAPOLI PIZZA VILLAGE Naples, Italy (July 1 to 6) Held in the birthplace of mod ern pizza, this event sees about 1 million people come to taste the creations of pizzaiolos worldwide. Take a class to master the perfect pie. pizzavillage.it SAPPORO RAMEN SHOW Sapporo, Japan (May) Held over 13 days, this event gives attendees a chance to slurp regional variations of Japan’s most beloved dish. Top chefs compete and show off their skills, as the public weighs in. sapporoevents.com SALON DU CHOCOLAT Paris, France (Oct. 29 to Nov. 2) Held annually since 1996, this prestigious event celebrates chocolate in all its forms, and attracts some of the world’s top chocolatiers, pastry chefs and cocoa producers. salon-du-chocolat.com

Just a Click Away Online food shops have made finding international ingre dients a breeze. Here are three big players that cover locales from Argentina to Afghanistan. SOUTH ASIAN CENTRAL southasiancentral.ca Offers a staggering array of South Asian foods including chick pea flour, hard-to-find asafoetida and Britannia’s beloved biscuits. UNIMARKET LATIN FOOD unimarket.ca Covering countries from Mexico down to Argentina, this shop has what you’ll need to make everything from tamales to buñuelos. T&T SUPERMARKET tntsupermarket.com The selection leans toward China, but East Asia is well covered. If you don’t

live close to one their 14 Ontario locations, order online.

Comfy Kicks A versatile, all-weather shoe can streamline your packing by reducing the need for multiple pairs, while ensuring you feel comfy and prepared in any conditions during your trip. Vessi’s lightweight, moisture-wicking waterproof sneakers check all the boxes. Made from soft knit fabric, they’re stylish, functional and produced by a Canadian-owned, Vancouver- based company. ca.vessi.com —JESSICA HURAS

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