Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
It was 22 years ago when I arrived in Canada and chose Calgary, Alberta to be my home. Leaving my family and friends behind, it was a new adventure for me to be in a new country without knowing anyone. That was the time I looked for a Filipino community paper and never found any, [...]
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Page added on August 19, 2011

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FAIR and FESTIVAL Foods

In the spirit of the recent annual 10 -day celebration of the Calgary Stampede, our main for this issue is going to be all about foods which are enjoyed in Fairs and Festivals. Generally Fairs and Festivals Foods are anything and everything with a basic cooking method: mostly deep fried or loaded with sugar. These foods aren’t exactly healthy, but we must admit that they are hard to resist at a fair. I should mention , though, the trend is now rapidly changing towards healthier choices.

Another trend that fairgoers like my husband and I traditionally follow are unique foods than can only be eaten once a year. Therefore, this month we chose 10 Fair foods: 5 being eclectic ( foreign foods, food on a stick or local food) and 5 that are all -time favourites. Here’s to our Top 10 must eat at the Stampede grounds:

1. Bannock Bread/ Fry Bread- a type of scone traditionally cooked or prepared on an open fire bin native American (Indian) Cuisines. Generally made of flour mixed with root crops, tree sap, a leavening agent and water, combined, kneaded then fried in a pan or baked in an oven or the classic way over an open fire. It was believed to have been created by Navajo tribes in the mid 1800s.
Savoury Crepes- This is a french term for a very thin pancake, usually made of wheat flour. Crepes are traditionally served with sweet fillings and toppings, however, the versatility of this food made savoury fillings equally appetizing to everyone’s palate such as meat, cheese and vegetables.
Colossal Onion- Also known as blooming onion or onion mum. It is a dish that consists of one large white onion cut to resemble a flower, breaded and deep fried. It is a good appetizer served with dipping sauce.
Elephant Ears- Also knows as funnel cake. This is a popular north american food in fairs and festivals. It is made by preparing a simple cake batter mix . It takes the elephant ear shape by using a funnel spout and pouring batter in hot oil in a circular motion using an overlapping pattern. It is then fried until golden brown and is usually served with powdered sugar, jam or fruits and syrups.
Turkey Drumstick- This is a roasted giant turkey leg dipped in barbeque sauce. The thrill or should i say challenge of this food is holding a piece of meat as big as your fist and trying to eat it like a lollipop.
Corn Dog and Footlong Hotdogs- A corn dog Is a deep fried hotdog wiener on a stick coated with a very thick layer of cornmeal batter. This snack is great with catsup and mustard. A footlong hotdog is a basic hotdog sandwich with stuffing and dressing , the only difference is it is 3x (12 inches) the size of a regular hotdog.
Candied Apple- It used to be a popular Halloween or autumn treat. It’s whole apple covered with a candy coating and served on a stick. There are variations with toppings like: nuts, sugar sprinkle, caramel and chocolate.
Mini Donuts- This is a much smaller version of the regular doughnut. They are mostly coated with sugar, from a flour dough batter and shaped in mini rings and dropped by mini donut funnels in hot cooking oil.
Potato Stix- This snack is obtained from one large potato sliced in a thin spiral shape. The potato is then skewered and deep fried. Once cooked, you can either put salt and pepper or drizzle it with catchup.
Deep Fried Oreo- This recipe uses the same concept as all fair foods, Oreos dipped in pancake batter and deep fried. It tastes better than it sounds…..trust us!

I hope these food descriptions will make your next gastronomic adventure at the Calgary Stampede very filling!

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THE MAIN INGREDIENT segment aims to inform, educate, share skills and knowledge. It also hopes to satisfy most of our TASTEBUDS (the five elements of taste perception: salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and umami or savoury). Email your request INGREDIENT(s) be featured for its uses, nutrient contents and/or cooking tips, and comments/suggestions. ***The author has had 13 years of experience in the field of Food and Nutrition, Research, Community/Public Health and Food Services combined. Earned the Degree in Nutrition & Dietetics (Philippines.) and Food and Nutrition Technology Program (Canada). Information presented in this segment is based on nutritional books, online searches and personal knowledge of the author. Furthermore, all recipes featured in this segment are personally developed and/or original creations of the author, and are intended solely for personal use of the end users. This article and contents are copyrights and patent pending and therefore, no portion/ parts or whole can be re-produced for any other use other than stated above without the author’s expressed permission. Mbpd

FAIR and FESTIVAL Foods

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