Spain Marketplace Review at the 2022 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
“Paella,” is what I shouted to guests walking by the Spain Global Marketplace at Epcot’s Food and Wine. A few years ago, it was more like, “don’t order the paella.”
However, like everything else, things can change. So much so that the paella at Spain’s Food and Wine booth is a front-runner for my upcoming list of top 10 festival dishes in 2022.
Oh, and by the way, I didn’t shout anything at anyone while I was at Epcot this afternoon. It would have probably been a warning not to order the seafood salad if I had.
Let’s look at your options.
Spain Marketplace Menu Items and Prices
Below are the items (and prices) you’ll find at this year’s Spain Marketplace at Food and Wine.
- Charcuterie ($6.50)
- Paella ($6.25)
- Seafood Salad ($6.25)
Beverages:
- Estrella Galicia Cerveza Especial Lager ($5.00 or $9.00)
- Kentia Albarino Rias Baixas ($5.00)
- Faustino VII Rioja Rosado ($5.00)
- Quinta del ’67 Almansa Garnacha Tintorera ($6.50)
- Wine Flight ($6.25)
Seafood Salad ($6.25)
First, we have the seafood salad. Let me start by saying all of the items at Spain’s festival booth are huge. Even this cup of seafood salad was chocked full of various proteins and a few accompaniments.
As someone who loves a good pasta salad, I was looking forward to trying this dish. Per the menu, this dish comes with shrimp, bay scallops, mussels, extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and smoked paprika.
My cup was primarily bay scallops. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of scallops. It’s a texture thing. The other issue I had with this dish was the flavor. It was so sour and fishy smelling.
Fresh seafood is not supposed to have a fishy smell to it. So if I catch a whisp of it, I immediately become a little wary.
You might luck out with a fresher serving if you decide to order one. But, on the positive side, it was a tremendous serving.
Charcuterie ($6.50)
Next, we have the charcuterie. I don’t know if the booth was out of cones or what, but mine was served in a cup. (Per the menu, the charcuterie comes in a cone.)
Additionally, these were pre-made, like the seafood salad. A cast member literally opens the refrigerator door and hands you your order. If the fridge had been opened a good bit, that might have caused the issue with my seafood salad.
Thankfully, charcuterie tends to hold up better than seafood. But I wasn’t sold on the charcuterie either.
Maybe I’m a harsh critic, but this charcuterie was drowned in a vinaigrette. The sauce only added to the salty flavor of the cured meat.
So if you enjoy a little salt with your salt, this is a strong snack option. The cup came packed with Spanish meats (it was Proscuitto), cheeses (Parmesan), and olives (Kalamata and green).
Additionally, there was plenty of chorizo sausage. It was the same chorizo that’s used in the paella dish, only it’s served cold in the charcuterie.
A couple sitting next to me was eating the same thing, and I asked them if they enjoyed it. They replied that it was okay.
Then I asked them if their serving was salty, and they told me charcuterie was supposed to be salty. If they only knew how much charcuterie I’ve consumed in my lifetime.
However, I cleanse my palate occasionally by going on a low-sodium diet. If you’ve never tried going low sodium, give it a shot for a week or two. You’ll regain the tastebuds you didn’t know you lost in no time.
Paella ($6.25)
Finally, we have arrived at the star of the show. Paella! A few years ago, the paella at the Spain Marketplace was one of the worst dishes.
I fondly remember being hopeful about the dish back then. It was before Jaleo had opened at Disney Springs, and I’d never tried paella before.
Related: Jaleo Disney Springs Review
Anyway, that particular order of paella had been sitting under a heat lamp. It was dry and downright gross. I only ate a few bits before throwing it in the trash.
So when I saw this year’s version combined chorizo and shrimp, I felt it was time to give it a new review. And I’m happy I did.
My portion came topped with three large, juicy (not overcooked) shrimp and five slices of chorizo. The base was yellow crispy rice.
Ultimately, I felt the dish was huge and delicious. However, it reminded me more of a jambalaya without the sauce than a traditional paella.
Regardless of what you call it, this was a fantastic dish I’d proudly order in the future.
Overall, Spain offers substantial portion sizes, and the seafood salad might be okay if you don’t get one with a fishy twang. The charcuterie is large enough to share with someone but comes in on the salty side. And if the paella remains consistent, you won’t want to miss it.
For more Epcot Food and Wine Reviews, try the following:
We’ll break for a day or two and then try to wrap up the other booths by the weekend. They are as follows:
- Greece Marketplace
- India Marketplace
- Kenya Marketplace
- Italy Marketplace
In the comments: What are your thoughts on the Spain Marketplace? Will you try any of these items?
