Sarah Airey, one of the Cowley Road Carnival organisers, says make sure you come to Sunday’s event with an empty stomach to make the most of food on offer

Leave plenty of room for all the delicious street food if you are coming to the Cowley Road Carnival on Sunday.

Because as well as boasting music, dance, family activities, a procession, great atmosphere, and this year even a beach – one of the best things about the carnival has to be the food.

Of course, the Cowley Road has always been a great place to eat, but on carnival day the aromas and flavours tempt the senses from all directions. Irresistible, like a child in a sweetshop, there is so much to choose from that it is hard to know where to start. And with national and ethnic cuisines from all round the world to opt for, there is something to suit all tastes.

Most of the restaurants will have stalls outside to sell their mouth-watering street food created just for the carnival alongside a selection of their most popular dishes. Majliss, for example, will be serving its speciality mango lassi, with a choice of dishes that will include lamb, chicken and veggie birianis, brinjal bora (aubergine), onion bhajis and samosas.

If eating them isn’t enough for you, you can learn how to make your own because The Aziz is holding samosa and onion bhaji making workshops.

Jerk chicken is another carnival classic. Freelance chef Jack Greenhall, of Smoke & Thyme, who also does weekly Wednesday barbecues at The Library in Cowley Road, will be in the Hobgoblin Car Park zone where he is cooking and serving jerk chicken and curried goat, along with rice, peas, and roasted plantain.

The Rickety Press is bringing a new Texan pit smoker and will be serving 18-hour pitsmoked brisket and pulled pork. Joe Perks & Co will be cooking up its famous hot dogs, which went down a storm last year, and Chido will be have a selection of spicy Mexican street food to try.

From Nepal, Momo King will be serving its traditional Nepalese dumplings with hand-made chutneys. These are hugely popular at the Gloucester Green market on Wednesdays and Thursdays – so carnival day will give those of us who can’t make it to the city centre the chance to try some.

The Indonesian Community Association is back for its third year at the carnival led by Yani Sampurno, who came to Oxford from Jakarta 10 years ago. The stall, which will be centrally located near the junction with Manzil Way, has a real feast on offer. For just £5 or £6, a huge selection of traditional Indonesian dishes will be offered such as chicken and beef satay, Ayam Bakar Rica (spicy chicken marinated in chillies shallots, ginger and cooked with lime leaf and lemon grass; Ikan Bakar Kecap (BBQ sweet and spicy tilapia marinated with herbs and spices with steamed rice and fresh salad). The stall is near the Manzil and Melody stages for entertainment and a good place to spot the procession, which starts from The Plain at 1.30 pm.

For drinks, there are two official bars – one at the Hobgoblin Car Park, which is behind Tesco between Union Street and Chapel Street, and the other at Manzil Gardens.

One thing is for sure, you won’t leave the carnival hungry! It’s worth bringing a ‘doggie bag’ to take more home for supper – if you’ve got the room.