A foodie's guide to Womad

Heading along to Womad Festival this weekend? Be sure to get acquainted with this year's stellar line-up of local food vendors before you hit the road.

In keeping with previous years, Womad's impressive line-up of food vendors are just as eclectic as the musical offerings.

Come March 17, New Plymouth's Pukekura Park will be transformed into a verified melting pot of different cultures, cuisines and musical tastes. The World of Music Arts and Dance Festival, better known simply as Womad, will return to TSB Bowl of Brooklands for three vibrant days of live music and arts, a drawcard for hundreds of music-lovers and dozens of acts from all over the world.

For many hungry festival-goers, the food on offer throughout the weekend-long event is just as significant as the gig's line-up. While New Plymouth may not ordinarily be hot on your culinary radar, by the look of this line-up, that's soon set to change.

Here are seven mouth-watering food vendors to keep an eye out for come Friday:

1. Zaaffran – Taste of Morocco
What's not to love about vibrant Moroccan cuisine?  The team at Zaaffran are serving exactly that. Boasting fresh to-go street food with a uniquely authentic twist, we strongly suggest you keep Zaaffran in mind as the weekend's festivities unfold. The Halal offerings are an added bonus.

2. House of Dumplings
We're big fans of Vicky Ha's delicious little morsels here at Dish, so naturally House of Dumplings are high on our list of priorities. With a wide variety of meat and vegetarian dumplings on offer, there's something to appease even the pickiest palate. 

3. Southern Fries
Consider the team at Southern Fries masters of Canadian poutine perfection. Golden fries coated in all sorts of tasty, cheesy toppings, it's little wonder why Southern Fries has garnered a cult following within the festival circuit. 

4. Sushi Ninja
For those craving seriously good Japanese, look no further than Sushi Ninja. Offering artfully crafted sushi rolls and delicious fried chicken, New Plymouth locals are already big fans of Sushi Ninja's simple yet satisfying contemporary Japanese menu.

5. Paris Plage
French food at a music festival? Yes please. Paris Plage have been feeding the hungry masses with Parisian sweet treats for a while now, here you'll find pastries and deli-style cooking, alongside hot and cold drinks and a sweet selection of ice creams.

6. Social Kitchen
Holding pride of place as one of New Plymouth's hottest dining destinations, Social Kitchen's street food line-up is just as delicious as anything you'll find at their restaurant. For those with a penchant for that irresistible smoky meat flavour, be sure to try their Charcoal Chicken or Barbecue Short Rib, both cooked in an authentic Spanish charcoal oven for that true-blue barbecue taste.

7. Nanny’s Food Truck
When we think traditional Jamaican fare, burgers don't typically spring to mind. Nanny's Food Truck offer a mouth-watering line-up of traditional Jamaican offerings, alongside one seriously impressive burger menu. Our pick of the bunch? Double beef patty, jalapeño, onion jam, bacon and double cheese, please.

Womad Festival New Zealand, Friday, March 17 – Sunday, March 19, TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth. For festival and ticketing information, see their website here.