Vera Wisterová interviews media colleagues. (source: Courtesy of SFF)
EVEN though the weather had been unseasonably cold and rainy for more than a week, it turned out quite sunny and warm on the weekend of May 21-23 – as if the organisers of the first-ever Slovak Food Festival had placed a special order with Mother Nature. Since the event took place outdoors in the gardens of Bratislava Castle, the great weather was no doubt an important element in the successful debut of the culinary festival.
The festival offered about a dozen different presentations of foods, beverages and viticulture on the main stage plus many side kiosks offering anything a gourmet’s heart (or stomach) could dream of: from fragrant and exotic coffees and special wines to Japanese, Cuban, Arabian, and Brazilian food and the steaks for which Argentina is famous. Offerings ranged from typical Slovak delicacies like goose to exquisite international cuisine, from traditional cheese canapés to Slovak beer.
The castle garden was cheerfully decorated and its garden furniture seemed ideally suited for the festival’s environment. A cooking competition between media representatives took place on the main stage – won by the editorial team of Dobré jedlo magazine – and visitors to the stage could learn how to make chocolate pralines, take in tips and advice for both grilling and low-heat Sous-vide cooking, watch the making of lokše, traditional pancakes from potato pastry, listen to a presentation on Thai teas and their history, and watch a sushi demonstration show, Hoang. There was also an on-site ice sculpting studio – an artist sculpted his creations right in the garden.
