We are coming to you LIVE from the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival this week!

It’s been a whirlwind of fabulous food and we have so much to tell you about! But today, we thought we’d bring you our very first Marketplace Booths of 2013.

Let’s take a closer look at two new booths — one brand new and one returning — Scotland and Brazil.

If you’re looking for your favorite booths, be sure to check out ALL the info and brand new photos on our Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booth Pages.

Scotland

Following the success of the popular animated film Brave, it seemed like the right time for Scotland to debut as the Food and Wine Festival’s newest booth option.

We’ve been anxiously awaiting final word on what would be served to represent Scotland, and the final menu was met with mixed reviews from readers.

In the end, sponsors of the Scotland booth and Disney chose a menu that would represent some current trends in Scottish cooking and that would appeal to a broad audience.

Salmon is always a popular option with festival goers, and the Seared Scottish Salmon with Cauliflower Puree, Watercress and Malt Vinaigrette is proving to be a great addition to this year’s lineup! In fact, it made our Best of the Fest List!

Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps and Tatties (Griddled Vegetable Cake with Rutabaga and Mashed Potatoes) is a somewhat controversial menu item. But the veggie haggis, which is similar to a very hearty veggie burger, is another great option for going meatless at this year’s festival. And it’s fun to see traditional sides to accompany it.

The Scottish Banoffee Tart with Bananas, Scottish Whisky Toffee, Walkers Shortbread Crumbles and Sweet Cream is creamy and decadent.

The rich flavors here work well together. And I really enjoyed that chocolate crumb crust.

The Loch Lomond cocktail features Glenfiddich® 12 year. Too many of these might knock your socks clean off! But I really enjoyed it.

I was also very interested to see how they presented the Glenfiddich® Scotch Flight. Three small pours of the single malt Scotch include 12, 15, and 18 year varieties. I recommend you start with the 12!

It really gives you a great opportunity to discern the difference that aging can make to fine Scotch.

Brazil

After a year off, Brazil returns to the Marketplace lineup in 2013 with an entirely new menu! (Well, there is one item returning. More about that in a minute.)

Seriously — they had me at Pork Belly! I couldn’t wait to try it!

And Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado and Cilantro was the very first dish I tried here! To be honest, it was a little overdone for my taste…but we’ve tried it on a couple of other occasions and it’s been great, so I’m ready to give it a second chance!

The Seared Scallop with Ragout of Tomatoes, Peppers, Hearts of Palm and Steamed Rice was delicious. The ragout was intense and flavorful. I loved that it wasn’t watery at all, and the addition of the traditional ingredient, hearts of palm, was a nice touch.

And — drumroll — I was so excited to see the Caipirinha, featuring LeBlon Cachaça, return with the Brazil booth! This has been one of my all time favorite Food and Wine Fest cocktails, and I especially love this frozen version! (I didn’t see any straws at the booth, though, so hopefully Brazil will remedy that by the time you get to the festival; it’s tough to drink this without one!)

The Cerveharias Kaiser Brewery Xingu Black Beer is surprisingly light-bodied, and it pairs really well with the pork belly especially.

Weigh in and let us know what you think of this one! Festival chefs are really excited about it.

Want More Details About the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival?

We work hard to keep you in the know about everything Food and Wine Festival related! Be sure to join our Disney Food Blog Newsletter for the latest information and details. And keep an eye on our 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Page for updates.

News! The DFB Guide to the 2013 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book is now available!

This 190+-page e-Book has everything you need to know — including full-color photos and expert tips — for making your visit to the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival the best Disney trip, yet! We’ve compiled all of our best advice so that you save money, save time, and have a blast.

Use code CHEFS at check-out for a $3 discount!

This list represents our favorites during our first trip around, but we know that you have your favorites, too!

What are you most looking forward to trying at the Scotland and Brazil booths? Leave a comment below and share with us!