Page 5 - XperienceAlberta-EDA-2024-1

AROUND
FEATURE
ALBERTA
Take a culinary trip around
the world, while staying in Alberta
Alberta is the birthplace of... Canadian Chinese food? Yup. It’s also where one of the greatest cocktails of all, the Caesar, was born. With some of the best grains, legumes and beef in
our backyards, chefs have access to some of the best ingredients in the world.
We’ve seen a rise in the number of innovative, independent restaurants not only in the major cities of Calgary and Edmonton, but throughout the province. There is more interest in “farm to table” dining, as eaters want to know more about from where their food came.
The latest economic indicators show that the restaurant business
in Alberta grew by almost 10 per cent in September of 2023, the highest of any Canadian province. Restaurants in Alberta earn $1 billion in income, per month. It’s a sign that, despite the challenges of COVID, we (and our tourists) still love to eat out.
There’s also been a rise in Indigenous cuisine, as we become more in touch with traditional foraging, harvesting and cooking methods that have been passed down. While the latest trends in cooking excite us, we know we have to look to the past, as well.
So, what will it be? A perfectly grilled Alberta steak? Mexican street food? Noodles? Or maybe a decadent dessert?
BANFF
KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR its bright turquoise lakes and glorious mountain vistas, Banff National Park has the honour of being Canada’s first National Park, established in 1885. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site with over 1,600 kilometres of hiking trails, three ski resorts with epic slopes and more than 1,000 glaciers. Banff townsite is at the heart of Banff National Park and serves as a hub for outdoor activities within the park, and as a culinary wonderland of exquisite dining experiences for guests and residents alike.
Something most Canadians may not
know is that many of the things we consider “Chinese” food were actually invented by Chinese immigrants who came to Alberta to work on the railroad. Ginger beef, which is a staple at North American Chinese restaurants, traces its origins to Calgary. So maybe that’s why the most quintessentially Canadian meal you can have is the blistered ginger beef at Brazen, while taking in the sights of the Rocky Mountains. It’s located in Banff’s Mount Royal
BANFF AT A GLANCE
Population Median Family Income
9,656 $100,000
Statistics source: Government of Alberta
Hotel. The Alberta beef is finished with a torch, and served with blistered shishito peppers.
Farm and Fire, in downtown Banff, features locally sourced fare cooked in a tra- ditional wood-fire oven. Yes, there are steaks and whole chickens, but fresh pickerel served in cornmeal breading is something the more adventurous eater would enjoy.
Head to The Rimrock Resort Hotel to find Eden, and its elegant dining room, which offers carefully curated multi-course gastronomic journeys. La Liste, a prestigious international ranking of all things gourmet, just placed Eden on its listing of the top 1,000 restaurants on the planet. The restaurant’s wine cellar has more than, gulp, 17,000 bottles.
Unemployment Rate Residential Vacancy Rate
Life Stress
20.9%
Sense of Belonging
75.2%
2 0 2 4 XPERIENCE ALBERTA 5
15%
3.21%
EMBRACE. ELEVATE. ENVISION.