This year from September 14 to 24 you have the chance to join the 20th edition of San Vito Lo Capo’s famous Cous Cous Fest, an international culinary event that literally transforms this little seaside town on the Northwestern point of Sicily in a paradise for foodies. If you do not want to miss it book your stay in one of our villas in San Vito Lo Capo or in Trapani.
The Cous Cous Fest is the most interesting gastronomic events of Sicilian summer. It was born from the desire to put around a simple dish of Mediterranean cuisine, passion for food, cultural exchange and cultural integration.
Over the years the event got an international reach, and today it gathers international chefs and artists for 10 days dedicated to food and live events.
Every year big chefs come to this beautiful corner of Sicily from different countries to compete in an international contest but also to share their idea of cooking in a fantastic multi-ethnic context. There’s also an amateur contest for non-professional chefs. For both contests there are two juries, a critics jury, made up of famous chefs and journalists and a people’s jury, that anyone can join.
These ten days will follow a very packed schedule of events:
The Cous Cous cooking contest
Chefs from all over the world come to San Vito to compete in one of the 2 prestigious gastronomic competitions for professional chefs: the Italian Cous Cous Championship and the Cous Cous World Championship, to award the Best Cous Cous Chef.
Two juries vote in the two competitions. You will have to purchase a 15-20 euros ticket if you want to be part of the people’s jury. The Cous Cous World Championship will see as president of the critics’ jury chef Claudio Sadler, and it will be made up of well-known chefs and important Italian and foreign journalists in the field.
Gastronomic village
San Vito will literally become the Cous Cous town. You will be able to choose a different cous cous every day. Inside what is called the “Gastronomic village” you will find numerous stands where you can enjoy more than 30 different cous cous recipes daily from 12pm to 12am.
Live Shows
Every night a free show, on the stage of Santuario Square, in the heart of San Vito Lo Capo. This year the main shows will include the live performances of singers Jarabe de Palo and Francesco Gabbani, as well as a concert of Joe Bastianich and his “ramps”.
Cooking Show
Throughout the week you can take part in cooking shows, where you can taste the recipes prepared directly by famous chefs in a nice and relaxing atmosphere, listening to their anecdotes and their little secrets. The subscriptions to qualify for the show are now closed, but you can join in as part of the jury.
Expo
In the main streets of San Vito Lo Capo you will find a real, colorful market and a thousand perfumes where you will find handicrafts and local products mixed with those of distant lands. A great opportunity to bring home high quality culinary items and goodies.
Le cous cous café
Talk show in Santuario Square at 9.30 pm before evening shows with exceptional journalists and guests to talk about gastronomic themes and more.
Tickets
The ticket to the gastronimic village costs 10 euros, can be purchased from 12pm to 12am at the three ticket offices of the event located in the main streets of the town. A jury ticket costs 10 to 20 euros depending on the contest/cooking show you want to buy it for.
You can download the full program from the official website.
image source: Cous Cous Fest
