Traditional corn dogs and deep-fried doughnuts are still on the menu but Calgary Stampede organizers say they鈥檙e being joined by giant squid on a stick, cheesy chicken hearts and even prairie oysters for foodies attending the 10-day event.

Midway operations manager James Radke says the Stampede menu has to have something for everyone but it鈥檚 the craziest combinations that tend to spark the most interest.

鈥淲e look for those foods 鈥� crickets on your candy apple, crickets in your grilled-cheese sandwich. How can you take those traditional foods and turn them upside down and really make people think about what they鈥檙e eating?鈥�

The so-called giant squidward, complete with tentacles, is about the size of a baseball mitt and deep fried.

The prairie oyster balls, which are calf testicles, are braised in a savoury sauce, sliced and served over sweet doughnuts with a blueberry sauce along with whipped cream and crushed nuts.

鈥淲e鈥檙e talking real prairie oysters,鈥� Radke said. 鈥淲e push people鈥檚 taste buds.

鈥淲hether their reaction to it is positive or negative, that actually doesn鈥檛 matter. What matters is it鈥檚 generating an emotional response to food and you know you鈥檝e got them right away.鈥�

Yan Situ from the Happy Fish Catering food truck expects the squid will be a big seller.

With 50 new foods on the Midway, you can鈥檛 try them all in one day. The Stampede SuperPass gets you unlimited admission for all 10 days and 10 nights for just $39 鈥� your belly will thank you.

鈥� Calgary Stampede (@calgarystampede)

鈥淚t looks a little scary but it tastes good though. It鈥檚 nice and juicy inside and then we put on our special bread crumbs so it鈥檚 really crunchy outside,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t comes in two flavours 鈥� salt and pepper and curry pepper. That one鈥檚 a little bit spicy, gives a little more heat for the street.鈥�

For those with a sweet tooth, there will be deep-fried, bacon-wrapped Reese鈥檚 Peanut Butter Cups, Pop Rocks mini doughnuts, smoking charcoal ice cream in a cup, hot ice-cream doughnut sandwiches and Kit Kat fries.

Only eight or 10 years ago, Radke said, Stampede food was a secondary consideration.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 changed with the advent of food television, of the Food Network, the foodie movement, restaurants changing and everybody really jumping upon that bandwagon. The midway has had to do that as well,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he midway has had to transform itself to become a culinary destination.鈥�

This year鈥檚 Stampede runs from July 6 to 15.

The Canadian Press

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