Jambo! Welcome to a marketplace review for Africa at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, which is a pared down version of the regular International Food & Wine Festival we’re used to eating our way through. With a smaller version of the festival, will we see a change in the quality of the food? Let’s dig into the Africa marketplace and find out!

Menu for the Africa Marketplace at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

Food

• 🆕 Spicy Kenyan Vegan Corn and White Beans with Pigeon Peas, Quinoa & Ancient Grains Medley and Kachumbari Slaw (Plant-based) – $4.50
• Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp with Citrus-scented Couscous – $6.75

Beverages

• Tusker Lager – $4.50 (6 oz) & $8.50 (12 oz)
• Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, Western Cape – $5.00

Photos of the Menu Items from the Africa Marketplace at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

*NEW* Spicy Kenyan Vegan Corn and White Beans with Pigeon Peas, Quinoa & Ancient Grains Medley and Kachumbari Slaw (Plant-based) – $4.50

The flavor palate in this dish is similar to chili. It’s a nice sized dish for the price, making it one of the better vegan options at the festival. The chili flavor does permeate all the vegetables and it would be nice if they had a flavor of their own. The vegetables are limp instead of crunchy, and the dish is a bit spicy. It’s particularly cumin-heavy.

While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this dish, we’d simply rather head to Sanaa for African-inspired food, and enjoy other options for the festival.

Piri Piri Skewered Shrimp with Citrus-scented Couscous – $6.75

Another spicy dish, but at least this one was milder in the spice department. It was a good portion size, too. We were all surprised by how much large shrimp was on the skewer. For $6.75, you have a small, yet substantial meal.

Tusker Lager (4.2% ABV) – $4.50 (6 oz) & $8.50 (12 oz)

From Kenya Breweries Limited: “Tusker Lager is brewed from 100% African ingredients that are all locally sourced; the barley is from the Savannah and the Maasai Mara, the spring water is from the Aberdare Mountains and all the yeast is developed locally which means that you feel closely connected to the brand’s origins and roots.”

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, South Africa ($7/bottle) – $5.00

Jam Jar Wines describes their Sweet Shiraz as having a taste of “mixed berries [and] dark chocolate undertones. Fruit-forward and semi-sweet, with a clean finish.”

Location of the Africa Marketplace at the Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival

The Africa Marketplace is located between Refreshment Outpost and the Germany Pavilion in World Showcase.

Did you try out the Africa marketplace and beat the heat or was this food just a little too spicy? Let us know in the comments below!