By Sarah Sussman
In addition to being the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede is also one of the greatest outdoor culinary destinations on earth. From patriotic funnel cake poutine to spicy chili pepper-infused lemonade, here’s your guide to all of the weirdest food at the 2017 Calgary Stampede. [Pictured: The Cereal Monster Sandwich, which involves ice cream crushed between cereal-infused marshmallow squares. Photo credit: Calgary Stampede]
If you have no qualms about chowing down on a massive toed chicken foot, head to Chicky’s Chicken to try the deep-fried chicken feet. If you want a sweeter snack, deep-fried Jell-O is the must-try fried sweet of 2017. If you really want to shock your palate, try Family Squeezed Lemonade’s new deep-fried lemonade (yes – this is a thing that exists).
One of the most buzz worthy foods of the Stampede this year, the World’s Hottest Pizza is packed with incredibly spicy ghost peppers. One eight-slice pizza will be made each day and names will be drawn – lottery style – to determine who gets to try it. If you can finish your slice without drinking anything, you get $50 U.S.
Another spicy surprise for heat-lovers, the Chili Chill-Chill is freshly squeezed lemonade infused with lime and three different chili peppers. For a milder spice boost, the Flamin' Cheetos Mexican Corn features a corn cob rolled in bright orange Flamin' Cheetos dust.
Unicorn foods are having a moment right now, so the 2017 midway food lineup is filled with colourful creations and sprinkle-doused delights. Taking the cake as the weirdest-looking new food at Stampede, the Cookie Dough-ne is a waffle cone filled with raw cookie dough and wrapped in a halo of pink cotton candy.
One of the more colourful additions to the Stampede food roster, the Unicorn White Hot Chocolate from Family Freezed comes topped with sour poppers, sprinkles, cotton candy and more. And if you’ve got a hankering for something a bit cooler, grab a made-to-order Troll Cotton Candy Ice Poppy, which is covered in a mountainous mass of fluffy cotton candy.
There’s nothing wrong with getting a little cheesy, especially when it’s going straight into your belly. This year marks the return of deep-fried cheese curds on the midway. Try the Canadian cheese curd option – you won’t be disappointed. And for those who still mourn the loss of the Fried Cheese Melt from Denny’s, Melt Town Grilled Cheese is serving up a grilled cheese sandwich made with four cheeses and stuffed with deep-fried mozzarella sticks.
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Discover more of the 2017 Calgary Stampede:
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Awarded first place as the best new savoury midway food of 2017 by a panel of celebrity judges, the funnel cake poutine is a Canadian take on traditional Pennsylvania Dutch funnel cake and comes topped with cheese curds and gravy. On the sweeter side of things, the 2017 Stampede celebrates Canada’s 150th birthday with maple bacon mini donuts as well as a very special maple walnut cotton candy with real maple syrup and crunchy chopped walnuts.
With so many wacky foods on the midway menu this year, treat yourself and indulge in something a little different. Whether you’re hankering for deep-fried lemonade or pizza that is quite literally too hot to handle, get outside of your comfort zone and try something a little bit weird.
