The Knott’s Boysenberry Festival once again brings more than 80 dishes to the park drizzled, dipped and drenched in the signature fruit that started it all more than 100 years ago.
The 2024 Boysenberry Fest will run daily from Friday, March 8 through April 7 and Friday through Sunday on April 12-28 at Knott’s Berry Farm.
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Knott’s hosted a media preview last week to offer a taste of about 20 items while highlighting another 60 more that we will have to wait to try once the festival opens later this week.
Knott’s will once again offer a $55 tasting card good for six tastings from a selection of boysenberry-inspired dishes and drinks at 12 food booths throughout the Boysenberry Festival.
Another 22 A La Carte booths will offer even more signature boysenberry items. Even more boysenberry food and beverage items will be available at brick-and-mortar restaurants and food stands around the Buena Park theme park.
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I tried everything Knott’s had to offer at the media preview and salivated over all the other foods that were on display.
Top 5
Here are five best things I tried during the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival media preview.
Warm Spam Musubi with a Boysenberry Soy Sauce at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
1) Warm Spam Musubi with a Boysenberry Soy Sauce
Ghost Town Bakery
I could eat the Boysenberry Fest’s new Spam Musubi all day.
It had the right balance of ham-flavored meat and rice with the boysenberry flavor coming from the soy sauce.
Boysenberry BBQ Beef Barbacoa on Mac & Cheese at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
2) Boysenberry BBQ Beef Barbacoa on Mac & Cheese with Green Onions
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The delicate and savory barbacoa had just a hint of sweet boysenberry deliciousness.
The Mac & Cheese helped mellow out the dish and add a creamy cheesiness.
Boysenberry Pulled Pork over Pastel de Elote at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
3) Boysenberry Pulled Pork over Pastel de Elote
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The chewy and savory pork is a little too sweet and overpowering on its own.
But the Mexican corn cake helped dilute the sweetness and balance the dish.
Brownie and Boysenberry Parfait at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
4) Brownie and Boysenberry Parfait
Miner’s Mac and SpudsGhost Town Grub
This year’s parfait was like eating a whipped cream pie with just a hint of boysenberry.
The brownies are few and far between, but it’s a chewy, chocolatey reward when you do find one of the chunks amid the white cloudy deliciousness.
Boysenberry Cobbler at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
5) Boysenberry Cobbler
Wilderness Dance Hall
The crumbly crust on the top disappears pretty quickly and you’re left essentially eating boysenberry pie filling.
The cobbler delivered one mouthful of chunky boysenberry jam after another.
This is a love it or hate it dessert. But if you’ve come to the Boysenberry Fest for all things boysenberry, then the cobbler is an essential must.
This is the full-blown boysenberry experience.
Wish List
Here are five more things I can’t wait to try at this year’s Knott’s Boysenberry Festival.
Beignets with Raspberry and Boysenberry Sugar at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
1) Beignets with Raspberry and Boysenberry Sugar
Gourmet Churro Factory
The beignets are all about the caramelized boysenberry sugar sprinkled on top.
The sugar is supposed to look purple, but the chef’s over-caramelized them a bit in their rush to get more than 80 items ready for the media preview.
Double Stack Boysenberry Icing Birthday Funnel Cake at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
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2) Double Stack Boysenberry Icing Birthday Funnel Cake
Cable Car KitchenSutter’s Funnel Cake
This ridiculously massive dessert stacks two funnel cakes on top of each other with boysenberry icing in the middle.
It’s like a giant funnel cake sandwich — if you could get your mouth around the 6-inch-high stack.
You may have to get a knife, cut it up and serve it like pieces of cake.
Boysenberry Bundt Cake at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
3) Boysenberry Bundt Cake
Ghost Town Bakery
The Knott’s pastry department makes all the desserts from scratch.
The Bundt cake is filled with boysenberry syrup in the middle.
I can almost imagine myself biting into the moist cake goodness.
Caprese Stuffed Portobello at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
4) Caprese Stuffed Portobello with a Boysenberry Balsamic Drizzle
Prop Shop Pizzeria
These portobello mushrooms are stuffed with fresh mozzarella cheese and grilled grape tomato slices.
They are topped with a drizzle of boysenberry balsamic and garnished with fresh basil for a Caprese finishing touch.
Boysenberry Chicken Mole Fries at the Knott’s Boysenberry Festival 2024. (Knott’s)
5) Boysenberry Chicken Mole Fries
Papas Mexicanas
I love mole and you don’t see it on the menu too often.
I can certainly say I’ve never had a boysenberry mole before. I have high hopes for this one.