Alberta’s 7 Signature Foods
-
Loading... - Mesi Osama
- 20 Mar 2023
- 107 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
Discover Alberta’s 7 signature foods and where to find them in Calgary restaurants.
We all need to eat. For me and most of my friends, food and eating also play an exciting role in the planning and enjoyment of travel. If that rings a bell with you, you are a food traveller. Food travellers are people that will drive across town or fly around the world to try something new. Some cities have become truly famous destinations for the taste of place they offer. I want to share why I think my hometown of Calgary should be on every food travelers’ bucket list.
Calgary is famous for beef but there’s a lot more on our menus. Our city is emerging on the global table of renowned cuisines for the quality of our produce. We are known as a city for our maverick approach to life with incredible independent and chef-owned restaurants to explore.
Chefs love that within a few hours of the city they can find an abundance of what’s become known as Alberta’s Seven Signature Foods. Yes, beef is on the list, but we hope you are surprised and delighted by the other notable local ingredients. Here’s our absolute must-eat list for visitors to Calgary.
Bison
This is Alberta’s indigenous food. A New York Times article reported on archeological research from the University of Alberta which dated bison in Alberta for at least 120,000 years. They formed with the land and are a keystone conservation species because they improve the ecology wherever they roam. And, depending on the cut, bison can have half the fat and twice the iron as beef. Talk about a superfood! Look for bison tenderloin, short ribs, and burgers on Alberta menus. See it substituted for beef in classics like a slowly braised French Bourguignon and order that if you do see it on a menu!
Beef
There are over five million head of cattle in Alberta (half of Canada’s beef supply). Yes, that’s right Alberta has more cattle than people. Originally from Scotland and Europe, these animals arrived in Alberta in the 1870s. They do well on our rich grasslands and whether grass-finished or augmented with Alberta’s famous barley, beef here is renowned for its rich marbled flavour. In our opinion, Calgary is the best place to try fresh beef tartare or carpaccio. Read More…
