Calgary Stampede: 57 new midway foods unveiled
It’s almost time for people to grab their cowboy hats and a pair of boots for the upcoming 2023 Calgary Stampede.
The Stampede Midway unveiled 57 new foods 57 days before the 10-day event kicks off.
In addition, there are updated “twists” on fan favourites, including mini-donuts, hot dogs, and an ice cream taco.
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However, the Stampede wouldn’t be the same without wild and quirky foods to test a person’s palette.
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Last year, there were crickets cheese sandwiches, mealworm hot dogs, and the Mac N Cheese Soft Serve.
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This year, with some delicious offerings (and some adventurous ones), the Stampede has something for everyone.
“The flavourful foods coming to the Stampede Midway are sure to impress guests,” said Kyle Russell, the director of Stampede programming. “This fantastic culinary experience is one you won’t want to miss for all 10 days at the Calgary Stampede.”
He also tells CityNews there will be no bugs at this year’s Midway.
“We have a lot of new variations on midway foods,” Russell said. “One of the things I’m most excited about is … a Poutine Colossal Onion.”
Meanwhile, classic Midway foods like mini donuts, corn dogs, and freshly squeezed lemonade will still be available.
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Adventurous foods to try
Street Corn Lemonade
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
This lemonade is infused with spicy tajin, corn juice and a hint of lime and is garnished with “street corn fixings,” from a dab of salt to a pinch of chives.
$100 Dog – Jalapeno Cheddar Gut Buster
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
As the name suggests, the hot dog worth $100 is that price for a reason. It is a 12-inch, naturally smoked jalapeño cheddar Dog made with aged wagu and elk meat, which was marinated in a 2010 Lokoya Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon for 5 days.
The dog is then served on a bed of thinly sliced bundnerfleisch (air-dried Swiss meat) in a fresh baked red pepper and sun-dried tomato ciabatta. It is topped with melted cheese, German Saurkraut, onions, and banana peppers. Sounds delicious, but is it worth the price?
“This is quite an elegant offering that will have a hot dog that’s marinated in red wine for five days,” Russell said.
“If you’re looking for something a bit more on the crazy side and something you can boast about to your friends, we have another hot dog that’s got some trim of alligator from Florida in it.”
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The Gouda Gator Dog
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
A jumbo 10-inch Dog made with alligator trim imported from Florida and gouda cheese imported from Germany smoked and served on a fresh panini bun topped with Louisiana Tartar Sauce, Saurkraut and onions.
Neon Dog
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
The colours are certainly interesting as they are bright blue and red. Lil Pocket Dogs says this will be a “one of a kind feast for the eyes.”
Peanut Butter Pickle Dog
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
The Big Pickle Dog will be a “huge hit,” according to Big Coco’s. It includes peanut butter and homestyle jam drizzled outside the deep-dried pickle dog.
Kool-aid Chicken Burger
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
A Kool-Aid Chicken Burger, which has a piece of chicken slathered in a sweet cherry glaze, is being called something “like you’ve never seen before.”
Ketchup and Mustard Ice Cream
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
With last year’s Mac N Cheese softserve, the Stampede is going the direction of condiments with this dish. It is injused with vanilla and “serious secrets,” the dish served from So Cute Ice Cream says it will be “tangy and delicious.”
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The Elkeroni Pizza
(Courtesy Calgary Stampede)
This thin-crust, fire-roasted flatbread pizza is topped with vine-ripened crushed tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, “sustainably raised” elk pepperoni, organic arugula and mushrooms.
The Super Seafood Machelada
Super seafood Machelada. (Jillian Code, CityNews image)
This dish is inspired by the famous Mexican cocktail. It has the original spice, sauces and a “tangy taste” containing shrimp, octopus, squid, fruit, cucumber, orange soda and Clamato.
Holy Bao
Holy Bao. (Jillian Code, CityNews image)
For those that order this dish, it comes as a full-sized sampler pack with three baos. It includes one soft shell crab bao, pork belly bao, and deep-fried pickle bao.
La Catira Picosa (Spicy Blonde)
La Catira Picosa. (Jillian Code, CityNews image)
An arepa filled with shredded marinated chicken, cheese, and avocado, topped with Arepas Ranch habanero hot sauce.
As a “big hot dog fan,” Russell says eight different kinds will be on the menu for fans of the classic food.
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100 years of Stampede Breakfast
This year marks 100 years of “syrup” for the Stampede, as it is also celebrating a century of serving up Stampeders with the annual Stampede Breakfast.
According to the Stampede, more than 200,000 pancakes are served and eaten yearly at community breakfasts over the 10 days of the event.
The racers of the Calgary Stampede’s first chuckwagon races gathered in 1923 for what would become the first pancake breakfast.
Over the next 100 years, thousands of volunteers have made millions of pancakes to honour our heritage and build our community.
Fast facts
More than two million mini donuts are eaten by Stampede guests each year.
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The 2018 year marked the 50th anniversary of the mini donut at the Stampede.
During the 2017 Stampede, at least 3,475 litres of ketchup and 1,571 litres of mustard were consumed.
In addition, the Stampede Midway food “gets a little more creative” each year food is sold.
This year’s stampede runs from July 7-16.
More information can be found online.
