You know I can’t resist a good “must-taste” list for any place I visit and I was quite impressed to have a few surprises in Alberta, Canada. From a prairie berry that’s fun to pronounce and a creamy drinking chocolate that is probably the best I’ve ever tasted, there’s much more to Canada than just maple syrup. Here are the 5 must-try foods I recommend in Alberta.
Alberta Cuisine: 5 Must-Try Foods In Alberta Canada
Saskatoons: Not only is this a fun one to say, but it’s also a great fruity treat. This prairie berry looks a lot like a blueberry, but has a deeper, more earthy taste. It’s a little gritty like a raspberry and tastes awesome as a jam. There are some u-pick farms such as Riverbend Gardens where you can go and pick a basket of saskatoons, or look for some saskatoon jam to take home as a souvenir.
Ranch Raised Elk and Bison: Just outside of Calgary we drove by rolling hills filled with roaming wild game. The surprise here is how ‘un-gamey’ they taste. At Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch (CRMR) we learned that typical gamey taste that’s associated with non-traditional meats is a result of them being hunted and full of adrenaline. But CRMR’s wild game have plenty of lush green pasture to roam and are humanely raised, resulting in a healthy, lean, almost nutty tasting meat. Elk and bison are both higher in protein and lower in fat then beef and have become my preferred choice of meat when available. Try a taste with the CRMR Elk Tenderloin Carpaccio or the Bison Tar Tar at Bar C in Calgary. Or if you find yourself up in Edmonton, try some of the deliciously untamed cuisine at RGE RD with their Hunter’s Stew or Questionable Bits.
Local Brews: One thing Pete and I learned, Canadians love their beer. And you’ll find at least 50 local craft brewers to choose from at any respectable restaurant or pub. We sipped one that soon became our favorite at Cavern, a wine and cheese bistro of all places. Alley Kat Brewing Company out of Edmonton makes a seasonal Grapefruit Ale that is out of this world. It’s as refreshing as it sounds and lacks that bitter taste you find in most mass produced beers. Pete’s not normally not a beer guy, and he loved it.
Chokolat: I often get asked impossible questions such as “Where’s your favorite place to go in the world?” or “What’s your favorite restaurant in the world?” which are difficult to answer since I love different places for different reasons. But one thing I can say for sure, my favorite hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted (yes, in the entire world), is the OMG at Chokolat in Calgary. It’s named after the first words that will grace your lips after tasting it and Chokolat does indeed make the world’s best chocolate, hands down. You can discover more about their philosophy in my post about the Maverick Chefs Of Calgary.
Disclosure: This trip was sponsored by Travel Alberta. As always, thoughts, opinions, and love for food and travel are all our own.
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