Recommended foods for a high school cultural festival: from Instagrammable items to easy, casual bites.
When it comes to running a food stall at a school festival, it’s easy to agonize over what kind of food will draw a crowd.
In this article, we’ll introduce plenty of great food ideas perfect for high school festivals! We’ve picked out not only classic festival favorites, but also options that require minimal prep and eye-catching treats that will shine on Instagram—menus that we especially want high schoolers to try.
Enjoy the school festival to the fullest, including the fun of making everything together with your friends!
Recommended foods for a high school cultural festival: from Instagrammable items to easy bites (1–10)
corn dog
“American dog” is a Japanese-made English term; in the United States it’s called a corn dog.
That’s because, unlike Japan’s wheat-flour-based batter, Americans use cornmeal in the batter.
I’d love to try a cornmeal-style American dog, too.
The aroma of the frying oil really whets the appetite—if you’re on the fence, an American dog is exactly what I recommend! It’s just a matter of coating a fish sausage in batter and deep-frying it, so even beginners can handle it.
And if you swap the fish sausage for cheese, you can make a cheese dog.
Ice tongue flu
https://www.tiktok.com/@kitchen_kanakana/video/7381391861664976146Tanful, the sweet that took over social media with its unique rhythm of “tan-tan” and “furu-furu,” was everywhere—remember seeing those dance and rhythm videos almost every day? Tanful is said to have originated in Korea and consists of seasonal fruits coated with a thin layer of candy.
It might just be the hottest treat right now, with lines forming at tourist spots and downtown areas alike.
It’s easy to make—just dip chilled, freezer-cooled fruit into a syrup solution—and perfect for a busy school festival.
Be sure to prepare strawberries, cherries, and other brightly colored fruits!
French fries
When it comes to French fries, there’s a wide variety—from McDonald’s crisp, skinny ones to Mos Burger’s slightly larger, heartier style.
To stand out from the competition, it’s worth mastering the classic way to make fries.
The tricks are to soak the cut potatoes well in water and to fry them twice for extra crispiness! There are plenty of professional recipes available online, so try the one that makes you think “This is it!” There’s also lots of room for creativity, like chocolate-coated fries or fries served with ice cream.
Frankfurt
Frankfurters are a familiar sight at festival food stalls, highway service areas, and even the hot snack corner of convenience stores.
Despite their simple look—just a large sausage on a skewer—you can enjoy a snappy casing and juicy flavor.
They’re sold with the skewer already attached, so they’re easy to prepare, which is a nice plus.
Since you’ll be cooking them as they come, it’s worth paying attention to the method.
A recommended approach is to lightly boil them first, then sear the surface until it’s crisp.
candied fruit
How about selling candied fruit—one of the classic festival stall treats—at your school culture festival? The contrast between the crisp candy shell and the juicy fruit is fun, and it’s sweet and delicious! The fruits coated in sugar glisten, making them super cute and visually appealing.
Lining up a variety of candied fruits at your booth will definitely be Instagram-worthy! If you keep a few tips in mind when making them, the process isn’t that difficult, so give it a try!
cheese ball
How about cheese balls packed with melty cheese inside? Use shiratamako (glutinous rice flour) and pancake mix to make a sweet, chewy dough, then wrap cheese inside.
Finally, coat them with crushed cornflakes and deep-fry—done! If you use string cheese for the filling, you’ll get that satisfyingly stretchy pull.
You can also swap the coating for bread crusts to add extra crunch, or play with flavors like ketchup or sugar—coming up with variations sounds fun, too.
choco banana
If you want to make sweets that are simple and look cute, chocolate-covered bananas are a great choice.
The standard ones you often see at festivals are nice, but adding slightly unusual toppings will make them feel much more original.
That said, there are a few tricks to making delicious choco-bananas.
First, use milk chocolate.
Then, when melting the chocolate, keep the temperature around 28°C (82°F).
Doing so will give it a crisp snap and a smooth mouthfeel.
shaved ice
When it’s hot, you can’t help but crave something cold, right? If your school festival is held from early summer to early autumn, shaved ice could be a surefire winner! Even serving regular shaved ice would probably make you a very popular booth, but how about putting in a bit of extra effort to offer truly exceptional shaved ice? Comprehensive rental shops often have machines that can make authentic, fluffy shaved ice.
Bring that shop-quality fluffiness to liven up your festival! Taiwanese-style shaved ice, which is trending now, and Korean-style shaved ice with lots of toppings are also highly recommended!
tapioca drink
How about making tapioca drinks with that irresistibly chewy texture? If you prepare a large batch of tapioca pearls in advance, all you need to do later is pour the ordered drink over them.
They’re easy to make, offer quick turnover, and are popular among younger generations—perfect for a school festival booth.
This time we’ll use black tapioca pearls.
They need to be soaked in water for 8–10 hours, so be sure to prep with plenty of time.
After soaking, add sugar to taste, then boil them until they reach your preferred firmness.
After cooling them in cold water, wrap single servings in plastic wrap for convenient use later.
Give it a try and create your own original tapioca drinks!
Churros
Churros are a type of snack sold at places like theme parks and movie theaters.
The ones sold at Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are especially famous, and it even seems like their popularity grew from there.
Being able to hold them in your hand and eat while walking is a key point—the casual convenience really adds to the fun atmosphere.
You can buy ones that are ready to finish by simply frying, or you can enjoy making artisanal churros from the dough.
Disney’s official recipe has also been published, so using that as a reference is recommended.