Roundup of classic and popular festival foods, plus trending menu items
When you go to a festival, the first things that catch your eye are all the food stalls, right? Game stalls like lotteries and yo-yo fishing are fun, and food stalls that everyone loves—from kids to adults—are a must.
In this article, we’ll introduce a roundup of classic festival foods.
We’ve picked a wide range, from longtime favorites to items that have become popular in recent years.
If you’re wondering what to eat at a festival or which type of stall to run, be sure to check this out!
Roundup of classic and popular festival foods: trending menu items too (1–10)
Fish and chipsNEW!
Perfect as a snack with drinks! How about adding fish and chips to your festival stall menu? Fried foods are an easy way to fill up and are great for eating on the go.
They’re a festival staple! All you do is slice potatoes and fish, coat them in batter, and fry—so there’s hardly any complicated prep.
It’s recommended for those who don’t have time for elaborate dishes but still want to delight visitors.
If you can provide a warming case, you should be able to prepare some in advance.
pirozhkiNEW!
Pirozhki are savory stuffed buns loved in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.
They’re a familiar item in Japan too, sometimes seen at bakeries, and with their generous fillings they seem well-balanced nutritionally.
You can make them either fried or baked, so choose whichever is more efficient.
The classic fillings are ground meat and vegetables, but making several varieties would also be delicious.
Because they’re easy to carry, they’re a convenient and recommended food for school festivals.
Give them a try.
Korean cheese hot dogNEW!
Make it with cheese instead of a sausage! Here’s how to make Korean-style cheese hot dogs.
First, mix bread flour, rice flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, lukewarm water, and dry yeast to make the dough.
Next, skewer the cheese, coat it with the dough, and then cover it with breadcrumbs.
After that, deep-fry it and you’re done! It’s delicious as is, but feel free to add ketchup or mustard to taste.
candied fruit
In addition to candied apples, a classic festival sweet that’s been around for ages, fruit candy—various fruits coated in a hard sugar shell—has recently become very popular.
Besides apples, strawberries, grapes, mandarins, kiwi, pineapple, and many other fruits are used.
The sight of colorful fruits encased in glossy candy is bright and adorable, appealing to everyone from small children to adults.
The sweetness of the candy pairs perfectly with the tartness of the fruit, making it irresistibly easy to keep eating!
yakisoba (fried noodles)
Speaking of street food menus, yakisoba cooked on a teppan griddle is a must! Yakisoba finished over high heat on a griddle has a different kind of deliciousness than the kind you make at home in a frying pan.
Plus, yakisoba stalls are fun because you get to watch the staff’s skillful moves as they cook.
Recently, more places have started offering omu-soba—classic yakisoba topped with a thin omelet—in addition to the orthodox style.
Some stalls even pride themselves on extra-large portions, so if you’re really hungry, yakisoba is the way to go!
karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken)
When you go to a festival, you can pretty much count on finding karaage stalls.
At bigger festivals, there might even be several vendors selling it! Karaage is such a classic, but each shop has its own flavor and style—craggy, crunchy coating or a thin batter; soy sauce-based or salt-based seasoning, and so on.
You’ll also sometimes see regional varieties, like Hokkaido’s zangi or Oita’s Nakatsu karaage, so it’s fun to stroll around and try different kinds.
grilled squid
Ikayaki is also one of the staple teppan-grilled dishes at festival stalls, and it’s popular with people of all ages.
Generally, it’s simply grilled squid coated in a soy-based sauce.
The savory aroma of seafood and the charred soy sauce really whets your appetite.
On the other hand, in some places “ikayaki” refers to something more like okonomiyaki—similar to a hashimaki—with squid tentacles mixed in.
That version is also packed with squid umami and is delicious, so be sure to give it a try if you come across it.