Lotus House — 2016 Flower & Garden Festival Booth
*This dining experience took place in March 2016.Please note that the Flower & Garden Festival booths have increased risks of cross contamination.
This year's Epcot Flower & Garden Festival marks another year of flowers, fun, and food. One of my favorite booths is the Lotus House, for one very simple reason...Beijing-style Candied Strawberries.This sweet and refreshing dessert option is delicious and a festival favorite (you can read more about it in my review from 2015.) For many years, it was listed as gluten free, but in the last couple of years Disney has not marked it gluten free on the marketplace passports that you pick up at the marketplace booths.Like last year, I checked with the manager on-site at the Lotus House (which is not operated by the Disney Company but by an outside vendor), and they confirmed that the recipe has not changed and that they are still gluten free and dairy free. Hurrah!Here is the list of gluten free (and dairy free) offerings at the booth:
- Beijing-style candied strawberries – Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free (*Note: This is not marked gluten free on the marketplace passport; however, the manager at the Lotus House advised me that these are still gluten free, like they were on previous years – March 2, 2016)
As usual, these strawberries were amazing this year at the Festival. I got them the first day and plan to get them again throughout the festival. The candied sugar coating is sweet but beware, they pack a sharp punch and can be a bit hard to bite into (My friends the Disney Hipsters call them Razor Strawberries & that's pretty accurate!). Still, they are a must-do if you visit the festival and like strawberries!Read about the gluten free Epcot Flower & Garden Festival options on my main festival page, and you can also check out Gluten Free in Orlando's festival page too.Looking for even more fun? Check out my YouTube video walkthroughs of the Festival!
Lotus House -- 2015 Flower & Garden Festival Booth
*This review took place in March 2015. Please note that the Flower & Garden Festival booths have increased risks of cross contamination.
The Lotus House has been a repeat outdoor kitchen booth at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival for the past several years. And their Beijing-style candied strawberries have been a favorite for gluten free visitors of the festival, especially since last year they were officially marked gluten free on the marketplace passports. However, this year they weren't weren't marked gluten free, which was surprising for most to hear.I wanted to stop by the booth to see if they could give me some insight as to why they aren't gluten free, and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the strawberries are still gluten free (according to multiple cast members). When I arrived, the cast member grabbed multiple other cast members to assist me and every one of them stated that the strawberries are still the same as they have been and continue to be gluten free and dairy free. It's weird then that they aren't marked as such on the passport; however, it was suggested to me that this booth is not owned by Disney and therefore might not have made the marketplace passport updates because of that. Here is the list of gluten free offerings at the booth:
- Beijing-style candied strawberries – Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free (*Note: This is not marked gluten free on the marketplace passport; however, the Disney culinary team advised me that these are still gluten free, like they were on previous years – March 7, 2015)
In looking and tasting the candied strawberries (I only had one), they were identical to years past. And of course, delicious. These continue to be my favorite sweet treat at the festival, especially since so few of the sweets are gluten and dairy free too. Be warned, the candied coating is crunchy and hard so they can be a surprising texture if you aren't expecting it. There's a reason I jokingly call these razor strawberries! I'd love to see the passports better reflect all of the options at the festival, as in years past (and this one too), there are occasionally misprints and/or missing items from the list. It's always good to consult with cast members, and if possible a chef and/or ingredients binder (if available) for the current ingredients. For more Flower & Garden Festival info, check out my main festival page, as well as the reviews found on Gluten Free in Orlando’s website. Alexis visits the festivals regularly and offers terrific updates