Licking our lips for Tasting the Tropics
Food festival
If you can feel your mouth watering and your taste buds tingling, it likely means you can sense Tasting the Tropics is just around the corner.
A host of Douglas Shire venues are jumping on board as Tourism Tropical North Queensland brings the destination’s unique food story to life in April with the launch of the food and drink festival, a celebration of TNQ culinary experiences highlighting the incredible chefs, producers and agritourism stories behind the region’s dining and eating culture.
Among the events, Back Country Bliss will be dishing up a Secret River Lunch of gourmet locally sourced dishes in the Mossman River on Friday, April 17, and Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Saturday, April 18, from 6pm, with an exclusive ticketed dining evening for food and wine lovers.
Canapes, an oyster bar and a four-course degustation menu showcasing seasonal produce paired with premium wines will be served on the Lagoon View Terrace at the Pullman restaurant.
But restaurant manager Daniela Gravante says she is not ready to reveal everything about the night just yet.
“Obviously we are looking forward to being part of that and to celebrate,” Ms Gravante says. “But that will be a surprise and will come later.
“You can’t say everything or it will not be a surprise anymore.”
Festival-goers can also learn to cook three Thai dishes using Australian native and Asian produce grown in the Oaks Kitchen and Garden Farm with chef Ben Wallace at Jungle Fowl restaurant on Saturday, April 18, from 12-3pm.
Ben and his partner Rachael Boon grow tropical produce at their 1.6ha farm at Oak Beach.
There will also be Wine Flights and Lite Bites at Epicurean Port Douglas each Friday at 3-6pm, with a special focus on wines.
Other venues across Douglas Shire, including Oaks Port Douglas Resort and the Sheraton Grand Mirage, are also planning events.
TTNQ chief executive Mark Olsen says Tasting the Tropics is a month-long celebration now in its 23rd year.
“Restaurants, cafes, farms, hotels and tour operators have joined the month-long celebration by dishing up their best tropical creations and throwing in some great entertainment to complete the experience,” he says.
“Try a river dining experience, a chef’s masterclass, barrel painting with live music, local spirits and cheese, and discover that smoked green papaya is the new smoked salmon.
“We are so excited about Tasting the Tropics in April that we are kicking it off a few days early at Feast of the Senses in Innisfail, an annual festival now in its 23rd year that brings food lovers to the Cassowary Coast for a smorgasbord of exotic farm produce and tropical tastes.
“Tropical North Queensland’s unique food story has grown from a proud farming history steered by a multicultural population and finessed by creative chefs wanting a sea change.
"Ochre Restaurant owner and chef Craig Squire is among the pioneers who incorporated native Australian ingredients into modern cuisine and his team will be showcasing the Ooray plum in both food and drinks.”
Ochre sous chef Mikayla Senn says Ooray is a versatile ingredient suitable for savoury and sweet dishes as well as drinks and was traditionally used to boost the immune system as it is rich in Vitamins C and E, potassium, zinc and antioxidants.
“At Ochre we infuse its unique flavour and vibrant colour into sugar syrups, stocks for sauces, wine reductions and puree for cocktails to use throughout our lunch and dinner menus,” she says.
Discover many more Tasting the Tropics events at: tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au/tasting-the-tropics.