11 quirky MFWF events you shouldn’t miss

Get your quirk on and take the path less travelled this Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (28 Feb – 16 March 2014).

Here are our top picks for 17 days of exploring unchartered foodie territory as well as picking up a new culinary skill or two along the way:

The Foodscray Race – 8 March
Part orienteering, part high-intensity food shopping experience where you explore Footscray collecting different ingredients to build your ultimate soup. It’s a great chance to discover hidden speciality stores, engage with the locals and try different types of soups.

Melbourne’s Fish Mongrels – 4 & 11 March
A 3am behind-the-scenes look of where and how a large portion of Melbourne’s wild-caught seafood first hits the city from its source.

Malt, Hops, Yeast and Water – 1 March
Learn the secrets behind making a great beer from three well-known Melbourne commercial brewers as they take you through a 500 litre commercial German Braumeister brewery, a 20 litre automated Braumeister and also a simple brew in a bag.

What is your Water Footprint? 1 – 2 March
A fun and interactive tour of South Melbourne Market, where instead of groceries a guide will fill a trolley with water bottles to show you how much water is used to produce your food.

A trio of Astrological Bites – 1 March
A three-course lunch, matched with a drink based on the three water signs of the zodiac, Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio and a roving astrologist giving readings.

Urban Water Harvest 3 – 11 March
See an aquaponics system in full action and taste produce straight from the tank as you dine on ingredients harvested from this sustainable method of growing crops exclusively in water.

Beneath the Surface – 8 March
Charcoal Lane’s executive chef will teach to how to prepare a myriad of aquatic produce from fresh water fish to how to fillet of saltwater croc (should you ever need to).

Water Coffee’s Hidden Tastes – 8 March
St Ali’s head barista Matt Perger will lead you on a journey tatsing coffee made with distilled, Evian, San Pellegrino, and various cities tap water so you can see for yourself how much water effects the taste of your morning brew.

Eat Ocean Drink Succulent – 2 March
Step into the Mexican desert with this dinner made solely from water-based fruits and vegetables, seafood, water birds paired with Tequila, Mescal and Agua Fresca.

Food for Thought – how does hydration affect your mood? 4 March
The brain is a particularly hungry organ and relies on a constant supply of nutrients. Find out how important hydration is to your cognitive function and moods as well as how food and nutritional supplements can improve memory and mood throughout your life.

Waste Deep Water – 2 March
Sustainable Table and Dumbo Feather have teamed up for this inventive event on Clean up Australia Day to encapsulate a zero-waste long lunch. Absolutely nothing will be wasted in this four course long lunch with matched. The menu, décor and everything in-between will follow the zero-waste philosophy of refusing single use disposable items, reusing and reducing and making the best use of all parts of the fresh, local, chemical-free and seasonal produce.