In its ninth year, the country’s longest-running food festival, Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF), is set to open on March 15 and continue for 11 days at Hotel Park.
The number of participants has grown by 36% to reach 177 stalls, six food trucks and trolleys, extending over the full 80,000 square metres of the park grounds. 16 hotels will bring the best of culinary experiences to the festival. The prices will range from QR5 to QR40.
All four corners of the world
In celebration of the unique mix of cultures that Qatar is home to, 9 embassies based in Doha will be inviting festival-goers to savour the flavours of East and West. The participating countries are the USA, South Africa, Vietnam, the Philippines, Turkey, Lebanon, Mexico, India and Ethiopia.
Special festival experiences
Festival favourites are back this year such as the signature Live Cooking Theater with participation from internationally renowned chefs such as US MasterChef Christine Ha, Qatar’s very own Aisha AlTamimi, Kuwaiti cook Fawaz AlOmaim, Indian celebrity chef Ajay Chopra, Lebanese celebrity chef Ramzi Choueiri, and the Michellin Star chef who has been preparing the post-Oscars feast for 24 years, Wolfgang Puck. They, along with others will be sharing their culinary delights from 6pm – 10:30pm daily with a different theme for each day.
This year, QIFF is also shedding a spotlight on locally-owned coffee shops which have become contemporary symbols of cultural and social exchange. The dedicated Coffee Zone which will give coffee lovers a chance to immerse themselves in the bean’s rich aromas and flavours.
Fireworks
Adding to the festive atmosphere at Hotel Park, the main festival stage will host a variety of live performances and cultural shows running throughout the day. In the evenings, fireworks displays will light up the sky above the Doha corniche at 8pm.
Mini Zoo
This year, QIFF has expanded the children’s area to include a mini zoo and farmer’s market, providing parents and children an opportunity to learn more about our food’s journey from farm to fork. Torba, Qatar Foundation’s farmers market, offering farm-to-table experiences, will be present at QIFF. Children will be provided with sports classes as well as creative activities courtesy of Café Ceramique.
Source: The Peninsula
