Entertainment
6 March, 2026
Serving up tropical cuisine
INNISFAIL’S Feast of the Senses launches Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s Tasting the Tropics experience.
TTNQ chief executive officer Mark Olsen said Tasting the Tropics was a celebration of Tropical North Queensland food and drink experiences, highlighting the incredible chefs, producers and agritourism stories behind the region’s dining and eating culture.
“Restaurants, cafes, farms, hotels and tour operators have joined the month-long celebration by dishing up their best tropical creations and throwing in some great entertainment to complete the experience,” he said.
“Try a river dining experience, a chef’s masterclass, barrel painting with live music, local spirits and cheese and discover that smoked green papaya is the new smoked salmon.
“We are so excited about Tasting the Tropics in April that we are kicking it off a few days early at Feast of the Senses in Innisfail, an annual festival now in its 23rd year that brings food lovers to the Cassowary Coast for a smorgasbord of exotic farm produce and tropical tastes.
“Tropical North Queensland’s unique food story has grown from a proud farming history steered by a multicultural population and finessed by creative chefs wanting a sea change.”
Feast of the Senses spokesman Dave Jensen said the four-day festival included food trails and a River Feast with rare fruit tastings, cooking demonstrations, food vans and market stalls.
“More than 150 varieties of fruit are grown in Tropical North Queensland and at Feast of the Senses you can try mangosteen and durian or stick to the traditional banana that elevated Innisfail into the Guiness Book of Records in 2017 for the world’s longest banana split stretching 8.04km along the highway,” he said.
Ochre Restaurant owner and chef Craig Squire is among the pioneers who incorporated native Australian ingredients into modern cuisine and his team will be showcasing the ooray plum in both food and drinks at Ochre during April.”
Ochre sous chef Mikayla Senn said ooray was a versatile ingredient suitable for savoury and sweet dishes, as well as drinks, and was traditionally used to boost the immune system as it is rich in vitamins C and E, potassium, zinc and antioxidants.
“At Ochre we infuse its unique flavour and vibrant colour into sugar syrups, stocks for sauces, wine reductions and puree for cocktails to use throughout our lunch and dinner menus,” she said.
Cassowary Coast events:
Feast of the Senses in Innisfail in March is a four-day smorgasbord of tropical food. Food trails and a River Feast on 29 March, featuring rare fruit tasting, cooking demonstrations, food vans and market stalls as part of the event, which is now in its 23rd year.
Dine overlooking the Coral Sea as chef Marco Rakic presents a Taste of the Tropics at King Reef Resort in Kurrimine Beach on the Cassowary Coast for lunch and dinner on April 24-27. From locally caught mud crab and reef fish to vibrant tropical mango and hibiscus, each dish celebrates the flavours of Tropical North Queensland – best enjoyed with ocean breezes, fine Australian wine and sunset views of Dunk Island, the South Bernard Islands, King Reef and the Coral Sea. Start with King Reef culinary seafood bisque and finish with baked mango cheesecake with hibiscus and lime coulis, served with coconut gelato.
Discover many more Tasting the Tropics events at: www.bit.ly/4aLuTmF
Read More: Innisfail