Most Popular Foods at Sports Events Around the World
Sports fans will confirm that there are two things that go hand-in-hand with supporting their favorite teams – sports betting and food. As we are sure there are many websites that offer advice on sports betting and promotions such as the MoPlay bonus, in this article, we will explain all about food! Watching sports and food simply go together like peanut butter and jelly, and if you are wondering what’s on the menu at the biggest sports events on the planet, we are here to help you out.
Tennis
When you think of Wimbledon, strawberries and cream must come to mind. This simple but savory snack was first served at the very first tournament in 1877. The spectators go through approximately 10 thousand liters of cream and astonishing 28 tons of strawberries each year! This winning combination is usually accompanied by a glass of Pimms and lemonade. The official Wimbledon site states that 330 thousand cups of tea and coffee are drunk on average during the tournament, and 30 thousand pizzas, 25 thousand scones, and 16 thousand fish and chips portions are eaten, as well.
Cricket
A cricket match can last for three to five days, with an average of six hours played daily, so it is no surprise that there is a designated tea and lunch break during the match. During the break, the spectators can indulge in a variety of finger sandwiches, which are thin slices of white bread with cut-off crusts and a filling (typically salmon and cucumber, beef and horseradish, Coronation Chicken, cheese and pickle, etc.). Those with a sweet tooth can enjoy cakes and scones, the most popular cake, of course, being the Victoria Sponge. Of course, there is a lot of tea accompanying all this food – classic black tea being the all-time favorite.
Baseball
It’s not just peanuts and Cracker Jacks for baseball fans. At the stadium, they typically enjoy corn dogs and hot or chili dogs topped with a variety of delicious salsa, cheese or jalapenos. If you find yourself at a baseball match in the States, you will see that each stadium is famous for its own version of the classic hot dog because each state has a different specialty. For example, in Pittsburg you can get a Cuban Pretzel Dog (beef hot-dog in a pretzel roll with slices of pork, ham, cheese, mustard, and pickles), and in Houston you’ll find a chorizo sausage in a corn-tortilla, topped with sour cream with cilantro, cotija cheese, pico de gallo and onions braised in tequila. However, it’s not all just about the hot dogs – there are also sandwiches and burgers, fries, nachos, and a variety of desserts (churros, ice cream, frozen lemonade, etc.)
Basketball
Unlike baseball, basketball is a very fast-paced game, so the spectators need to be fully concentrating, meaning – when it comes to food they prefer it to be easy to eat and bite-sized. This means there’s lots of popcorn, candy, pretzels, nacho chips and cheese, bread sticks and French fries going around. And since food vendors don’t want their delicacies to get too dull, they are constantly changing their menus and coming up with outrageous foods to appeal to their hungry customers. If you are watching a San Antonio Spurs match at home, you can now nibble on brisket potato waffles. That’s right. You can have a waffle made from potatoes covered in smoked, chopped brisket, cheese, and sour cream.
Football
The most favorite stadium food for football supporters in England is a meat pie, accompanied by a pint of beer, of course. Although you would typically think that pies and football don’t go together, they became a fan favorite on the island. There are a lot of matches played in autumn and winter when it’s typically rather cold, so indulging in a hot, meat pie became a sort of a tradition as it can keep you both warm and full. The price goes from £1 at Edinburg City’s Ainslie Park, to whooping £4.50 at Fulham’s Craven Cottage.
