This year, after being closed or limited due to covid-19, the Calgary Stampede is back in full swing. Being born and raised in Calgary one of my favorite things to do is to check out the new fun and crazy Stampede midway food each year.
Each Stampede I expect to see a lot of typical favorites such as over the top sweet treats and deep fried stuff, but this year the Stampede has added food I don’t think anyone asked for – bugs!
The Calgary Stampede New Midway Food page says “Adventurous, daring, and spicy twists on traditional Stampede favourites, get ready to make some mouthwatering memories”.
Earlier this year the federal government announced it was investing up to $8.5 million into Aspire’s cricket-processing facility in London, Ontario, and it appears that Canada is not wasting any time adding bugs to the menu.
Jumbo Worm Hot Dog at the Calgary Stampede#WEF #Globalism #WorldEconomicForum #EatBugs pic.twitter.com/5GKdoLjMVu
— Canadian Riley (@TiaRileyCanada) July 16, 2022
For adventurous eaters, you will find meal worm hot dogs at the Superbooth stand. Superbooth says that “Meal Worms are high in protein and safe to eat“, but no mention of how they taste! It says that they are “All-Beef”, that must mean all-beef – plus worms.
MEAL WORM HOT DOG
All-Beef Meal Worm Hot Dog, made using meal worm protein, whole roasted meal worms, and beef, topped off with your favorite condiments (Meal Worms are high in protein and safe to eat).
If you are not tempted by the meal worm hot dogs you may want to try the cricket hot dogs at The Wurst & Burger Shack. Crickets are apparently also “high in protein and safe to eat”.
CRICKET HOT DOG
All-Beef Cricket Hot Dog, made using cricket protein, whole roasted crickets and beef, topped off with your favorite condiments (Crickets are high in protein and safe to eat).
So if you are not ready to eat bugs, there are a few other goodies for you to try on this year’s Stampede menu. You may want to try the Korean Squid Ink Corn Dog at Big Coco’s. They say it has a taste similar traditional corndogs, but more crunchy and a hint of sweetness.
KOREAN SQUID INK CORN DOG
They taste similar to traditional favourite corndogs, except with more of a crunch and a bit of sweetness. It’s half mozzarella, half hot dog, dipped in a black batter, with one end cut to resemble tentacles!
How about trying crab meat and octopus wontons? At the Happy Fish stand you will find Octopus Rangoon a crispy wonton with crab, octopus and cream cheese.
OCTOPUS RANGOON
Crispy wonton shell filled with warm crab meat, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese filling, and diced octopus, served with sweet & sour sauce
Ever had eel? Well now is your chance if you haven’t at the Happy Fish stand you will find their new Unagi Sushi Taco with BBQ unagi eel and crab meat.
UNAGI SUSHI TACO
Tempura nori taco shell with BBQ unagi eel, sushi rice, crab meat mixture, and julienned cucumber, drizzled with signature BBQ eel sauce.
If seafood is not your thing, why not try some cow tongue with pineapple. At the Avatara Pizza stand you will find the Crazy Tongue Pizza with slow braised AAA Alberta cow tongue.
CRAZY TONGUE PIZZA
Vine-ripened, and naturally sweet crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, slow braised AAA Alberta cow tongue, natural pineapple, caramelized onions, and a Baja chipotle drizzle.
The stampede menu also includes less adventurous, but still daring foods such as cinnamon sugar cookie dough, with mini donuts, bad breath lemonade with garlic & caramelized onions.
Kids might like the cotton candy lemonade served with a cotton candy “bomb”, the cotton candy noodles with a fluffy cloud of pink cotton candy, garnished on top of noodles, or the mac n cheese soft serve ice cream.
For deep fried favorites you may want to try Oreo cookies deep fried inside signature mini donuts, chipotle pickle philly topped with chipotle sauce, and deep fried pickle chips, deep fried strawberries or mochi, jalapeno cheesy cauliflower bites or deep fried donuts with cheese.
Happy Stampeding!