Native American Cuisine & Culture @ Epcot Through Nov. 11th

I was quite pleasantly surprised to see Native American cuisine featured in the Oklahoma pavilion at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando, Florida. At one booth called the Three Sisters Cafe you could sample seared buffalo with wild onions and/or three sisters soup. Another booth offered Native American peach buckle, a type of dessert featuring a corn meal cookie with fresh peaches.

The pavilion also included a replica of a Wichita tribal house. Constructed from straw with a cut-out serving as the door, the structure hosts Native American cooking demonstrations throughout the day. (A sign was posted above the cut-out door that read "The Wild Onion Kitchen.")

There was also an authentic tipi and various booths where Native American artists sold their wares. Tribal dancing and story telling also took place on a small stage at various times.

There was also an Andean pavilion featuring Peruvian dishes, art and crafts. These two pavilions were a very nice and unexpected surprise to my Epcot visit. Hurry, because they will only be at Epcot through November 11th.

Of course, there are two other permanent exhibits that feature American Indian themes. The Canadian pavilion features exquisite totem poles from their Pacific northwest tribes. And the Mexico pavilion is housed inside a recreated Aztec pyramid. Inside is a boat ride that includes Mayan, Aztec and Olmec artifacts as well as a beautifully recreated Mayan wall mural. These can be seen anytime and are worth a visit to Epcot.