Knott's Boysenberry Festival 2018
After seeing posts on Instagram and reading an article in the Orange County Register, previewing the new food items at the Knott's Berry Farm Boysenberry Festival, I had to go. So, my two friends and I planned a day to visit ASAP. To try the most variety of boysenberry foods, we purchased a tasting card ($30).
The tasting card allows you to try 8 different foods at booths stationed around the park. We bought it online, and when we showed the park attendants the mobile ticket, they kept directing us to different places to get the physical card, but their instructions were not clear. We finally found the place–the barn by the elotes booth. You can use more than one ticket at each booth which was nice. Since I'm lactose-intolerant, I just had a bite of the cheesy dishes from my friends and saved my tickets to use all at the macaroon booth!
We arrived at opening (10AM) on a Saturday and were done by 3PM with the food and rides. It wasn't that crowded, but a lot of the rides were not open :/ The longest we waited was an hour for Ghost Rider, but it was well worth it.
Boysenberry Everything!
tasting card
Slow Cooked Boysenberry Short Rib (7/10)
This was one of the better items, but there was too much fat compared to meat. It was cooked well, but I also thought there was too much sauce. And that sauce seeped into the rice beneath the short rib. I don't like soggy rice!
Boysenberry Pierogies (1/10)
The absolute worst item on the tasting card. It had a slimy texture and the dough was thick–like a cross between ravioli and xiao long bao. And it was filled with the kind of cheese you find in grilled cheese. Not to mention, the onions had a weird taste. The best thing about this was the boysenberry sour cream. Presentation was a 0/10. This just looks unappetizing.
Boysenberry Chicken Wings (6/10)
I'm not really a wings person, and I don't usually eat fried foods. But when I do, I like them crispy. These were softly breaded–in between a chicken dino breading and a restaurant style chicken tender breading. But, the boysenberry sauce drizzle was yummy, and the chicken was tender.
Boysenberry Coconut Macaroon (9/10)
Sooo by the end of our tasting rounds, we had 6 tickets leftover, and we used all of them to redeem macaroons. I think the lady thought I was a little crazy–I handed her the 6 tickets because my friends don't like coconut. Luckily, she had a box. These were very dense macaroons (stressing the "oons"–"ons" are the French version) and chewy. Because they were half-dipped in a boysenberry glaze, the macaroons were really sweet. I could only eat half, but they were delicious nonetheless.
Boysenberry Elote (10/10)
This was my first time having the Mexican street food–elote. I've seen crazy hot cheetos and unicorn elotes all over Instagram, but always avoided them because they were covered in cheese. I told them to go light on the cheese, so I could still be able to eat it. Man, oh man, was it tasty. Fresh off the grill, the corn kernels absorbed the boysenberry butter and mayo, giving each bite a blast of flavor. My friends loved it too!
Boysenberry Hummus with Grilled Pita Bread (7/10)
First things first, I am OBSESSED with hummus. I eat it every day, and will try any flavor. It's so healthy, and pairs well with bread, chips, and vegetables! The boysenberry flavor had a faint presence in the hummus, like it was there, but not really. So it tasted a little odd. But it's hummus, and what's not to love about hummus? They gave us a humungous scoop, and an entire pita bread–I could only eat half–gotta save that stomach for the rest of the foods!
Boysenberry Cheese Quesadilla (7/10)
I sure hope the bright purple of the tortilla came from the boysenberries, because that'd be a lot of food coloring. Even though the cook told us the tortilla was boysenberry flavored, it just tasted like a normal tortilla. The cheese was gooey and yummy–from the one bite I took. The boysenberry salsa tasted more like boysenberry, so I dipped the quesadilla in that to get the full boysenberry taste. The quesadilla itself...is just a quesadilla. Nothing special. Not gonna lie, this quesadilla looks like it came from another planet.
Boysenberry Sausage on a Bun (100/10)
I would spend all my eight tickets on these sausages and take them home with me–it was that good! HANDS DOWN THE BEST ITEM ON THE TASTING CARD! The sausage was the perfect combination of savory and sweet, with a hint of boysenberry. It was cooked perfectly, and the wheat bun was some good bread. The boysenberry relish was tasty too!
Next time I think I'll share a tasting card, or just pick and choose the boysenberry items I want to try, since some weren't as good as others. I have to say, the price was definitely worth it for the portion sizes they give you. Overall, it was a fun experience, adding something different to do in between rides.