The food and music festival, Taste of Minnesota, converges in downtown Minneapolis this week. Check out this sampling of the varied cuisine all found in this one great state.
Paella Depot
This Spanish one-pot wonder will delight you. Paella Depot offers a signature chicken and chorizo paella with optional add-ins of fried egg, seafood (shrimp, clam, and mussel), or both. They’re also serving agua fresca with flavors such as Guava-Hibiscus, Mango-Pineapple-Basil, and Mixed Berry-Mint. The paella is made on the spot in enormous paella pans so you can see the crisped-up Bomba rice with all the fixings come together in front of your eyes.
Taste the Real Nawlins’
Hot hushpuppies – crisp and golden on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside – are on the menu at popular Taste the Real Nawlins’. The goal is to experience a bit of NOLA culture with every plate of food – whether fried catfish, fish and shrimp po’ boys, gumbo, or cajun fries – all craveable soul food served with Southern hospitality.
Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine
A beloved Egyptian street food dish, koshari, is yours to try this weekend from Kosharina Egyptian Cuisine. Each bowl includes rice, pasta, lentils, and a savory-spicy homemade tomato sauce topped with fried onions. There are three varieties – the classic veggie koshari, beef, or chicken. For those who enjoy a little extra heat, a signature garlicky vinegar sauce and a mild hot sauce are also available.
La Borinqua Puerto Rican Cuisine
You can taste the Caribbean twist in the food served up by La Borinqua Puerto Rican Cuisine. At Taste of Minnesota, this includes Puerto Rican rice made with a sofrito base of cooked down aromatics and peppers.
The Orange Roaster
Esquites (Mexican-style corn bowls) are on offer from The Orange Roaster. The roasted sweet corn is served hot with cotija cheese, tajin, mayo, cilantro, and lime. The family-run business has its roots in Ukraine, where Oleg Peliavskyi once operated a flower farm. War forced the family to relocate and pivot. Since then, the corn and sweet potato offerings cooked in The Orange Roaster’s custom-built roasting machine have been a treat at farmer’s markets around town.
