From ramen doughnuts to deep fried frozen watermelon

The Calgary Stampede isn’t just about the rodeo, concerts and rides. 

The annual 10-day show, which started on Friday in Calgary, Alberta, is a major cultural event for Western Canada.

And in the past few years, unique and unusual food items have taken centre stage along the midway.

Many attendees even look forward to seeing “what crazy thing [we are] going to think of this year,” said Julie Forget, the Calgary Stampede’s manager of communications and media relations.

This year, there are 65 new food items available for visitors to try.

Here are a few of the more eye-catching ones: 

This year’s interesting food

Why do people want to eat weird food?

Unusual foods and the carnival environment go hand in hand, said Karon Liu, the staff food reporter for the Toronto Star.

“It’s all about the shock and thrills and bright lights,” he told CBC Kids News. 

“So the food has to match that energy level.”

Forget said the tradition of new, unique foods appeals to vendors as well as visitors.

She said it allows vendors to get creative and that they enjoy coming up with unexpected ideas as much as customers like trying them.

It has to be about more than creativity and originality, though.

“If it doesn’t taste good, then that’s not a win,” Forget said.

Liu said that because of rising food prices, the cost of making treats also goes up, which gets passed on to the buyer.

For example, the Fried Frozen Watermelon has been reported on social media as costing $12, while the Calgary Stampede website shows the Big Buckin’ Lemonade costs $55.

This might make some people think twice about dropping money on an expensive snack they might not even like.

However, Liu said that the risk can be part of the appeal for some.

The novelty of the food can make people want to splurge on it, if not for taste, then for the social media appeal.

“All the food looks great on Instagram,” Liu said.

 

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TOP IMAGE CREDIT: Calgary Stampede