Food festivals are becoming quite popular in the United States. You have your pick of cuisine, you don’t need to spend much money, you get to hang out with friends, and you’re doing something trendy – there’s no surprise behind why people are flocking to such events.

Not one to be left out, two weeks ago, I headed to the Eat Real Festival in Oakland. This particular event takes food fests to another level by connecting the dots between what we eat and its origins. In addition to eating and drinking, attendees have the ability to “make” and “see.” This year, that meant everything from stretching mozzarella to learning knife skills to cut up veggies. Food vendors got in on the theme as well by highlighting the origins of their ingredients on menu boards. One noteworthy example was Kara’s Cupcakes, whose board was quite detailed (see image above). It’s unrealistic to expect this kind of transparency on everything we buy, but it was refreshing nonetheless.

Have you seen examples of companies being exceptionally transparent? Share them in the comments below!