Crickets, goat's head, kangaroo leap out on the Calgary Stampede's new midway menu
Some of the more interesting eats this year include cricket grilled cheese, goat's head soup and kangaroo meat
If you can deep fry it, stuff it, serve it on a stick or smother it in gravy, you'll probably find it on the midway at this year's Calgary Stampede.
Two-foot mini doughnut towers. Giant squid skewers. Flaming Hot Cheeto bowls. Deep fried, bacon-wrapped Reese's cups. Korean tater tot poutine. Charcoal ice cream. Those are just some of the edibles you'll find among the 50 new offerings at this year's 10-day extravaganza.
Adventurous foodies will want to keep an eye out for some rather unconventional proteins featured this year, from crickets to kangaroo and even goat head.
Cricket grilled cheese
Promising to be equal parts gooey and crunchy, this sandwich is served on a thick Texas-style toast with a blend of four cheeses.
Kangaroo-stuffed burger
It's a burger stuffed with kangaroo meat, served with all the fixings on a hamburger bun. The Stampede reckons "this is the first time this has been served outside of Australia."
Goat's head soup
Traditionally known in Jamaican culture as Manish Water, this soup is packed with tripe, dumplings, carrots and yams all in a goat's head broth.
Sushi doughnut
It's salmon, masago, picked radish and everything else you might want in a sushi roll, but wrapped around a doughnut-shaped rice patty. What more needs to be said?
Wine and cheese
No fancy cheese knives or wine glasses necessary; in fact, fingers only, if you please.
This wine-infused cake has been deep fried in bite-sized pieces and is paired with squeaky cheese curds and wine jelly for dipping.
Beef and chicken pho-ritos
This tortilla-wrapped meal gives new meaning to pho to go. It's everything you'd find in the delicious bowl of Vietnamese soup, but served up burrito style with a secret pho sauce.
Cricket caramel apple
Again with the crickets, this time for dessert. These honey-flavoured, oven-roasted crickets add a protein-packed crunch to the classic caramel covered apple.
Cheesy chicken hearts
A crisp exterior, a dash of spice, and a gooey, offal filling. Chicken is chicken, right?
Kit Kat fries
A dessert for those who believe that deep frying anything somehow makes it taste better.
Kangaroo pizza
It's the cured kangaroo sausage that really makes this tomato, mozzarella, basil and mushroom pie jump out from the rest.
With files from Mike Symington