what's up with calgary and ginger beef

[aem123]

its everywhere

[NuclearFart]

Supposedly it was "invented" in Calgary, so it makes sense.

[Milt Schmidt]

awesome ginger beef is awesome

Milt

[ma-skis.com]

Supposedly it was "invented" in Calgary, so it makes sense.

I've heard the same, supposedly my dad knew the guy who invented it. That's my claim to fame of someone famous someone I know knows.

[CaptainCrunch]

It wasn't invented in Calgary, it was westernized into its current recipe in Calgary.

Personally I'm not a big fan its like spiced beef jerky, so many restaurants over cook it until it becomes tough and chewy.

[nik-]

Good Ginger Beef is awesome, too bad the majority of it is either jerky like Captain said, or a disgusting, super sweet, soupy mess.

[worth]

i will eat any kind of ginger beef. just put it in my mouth.

[Vinny01]

I miss Charly Chan's Ricehouse on Kensington road. Best ginger beef of all time!

[Northendzone]

I can't think of the last time I had bad ginger beef.......my most favorite ginger would be Scarlett j, ginger Lynn and the one from Gillian,s island....

[MrMastodonFarm]

Some of the best Ginger Beef I've had is that stuff M&M meats has, oven cook it till it's nice and crisp (not jerky) and that sauce is so good.

[Hack&Lube]

Invented here just like Clamato (or both urban myths that have been grossly exaggerated)

There are a lot of places outside Calgary where you cannot get Ginger Beef.

[CrusaderPi]

Westernized ginger beef, the caeser, and skanky faux-cowgirls. All invented in Calgary and all reasons why we love Calgary. God bless you guys.

92 days until the Stampede.

[Grimbl420]

I miss the Ginger Beef in Calgary. I also miss Calgary donairs.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Westernized ginger beef, the caeser, and skanky faux-cowgirls. All invented in Calgary and all reasons why we love Calgary. God bless you guys.

92 days until the Stampede.

And scary man-eating sized Rabbits.

[CrusaderPi]

I don't love me some scary man eating sized rabbits, unless that's a euphemism. Then I'd probably be willing to dabble.

[CaptainCrunch]

Invented here just like Clamato (or both urban myths that have been grossly exaggerated)

There are a lot of places outside Calgary where you cannot get Ginger Beef.

Clamato juice wasn't invented in Calgary, it was invented by Motts in 1966. The Ceasar was invented in Calgary in 1969 as a signature drink at the Calgary Inn (Thank you trivia pursuit)

[chemgear]

Lots of white people & helps keep the cat/dog population down.

[afc wimbledon]

it wasn't invented in calgary, it was westernized into its current recipe in calgary.

Personally i'm not a big fan its like spiced beef jerky, so many restaurants use the cheapest toughest 'beef' from the most questionable 'suppliers' and as so it is tough and chewy, as all dead donkey or horse or road kill is prone to be.

fyp

[Daradon]

Calgary or San Fransisco. (two cities you usually don't see in the same conversation.)

Besides the `Caeser` we don`t have a lot of cuisine to come out of here, so might as well perpetuate the myth.

As a few have said, proper ginger beef is heaven. But many do jerky or soup. Find your place.

[CrusaderPi]

Lots of white people & helps keep the cat/dog population down.
If people knew how delicious the cat was they'd been nicely served up was then we'd all be eating more a lot more cat.

[Daradon]

Invented here just like Clamato (or both urban myths that have been grossly exaggerated)

There are a lot of places outside Calgary where you cannot get Ginger Beef.

People don't say Clam was invented here, it was the Caeser (which uses clam obviously)

Clamato isn't even Canadian, part of Mott's from NY. But for some reason it became a Canadian thing. They even had Beefmato!

But the Caeser is the Canadian version of the Bloody Mary, and supposedly invented in Calgary, yes.

[afc wimbledon]

If people knew how delicious the cat was they'd been nicely served up was then we'd all be eating more a lot more cat.

Having drunk with a health inspector I am perfectly aware we mostly know how delicious cat is even if we think it is pork, apparently raccoon makes a decent pork as well.

[CrusaderPi]

Calgary or San Fransisco. (two cities you usually don't see in the same conversation.)

...unless you live in Kensington. Fabulous!

[Daradon]

...unless you live in Kensington. Fabulous!

Haha! Too true, and strangely enough the origin of the 'created in Calgary myth.'

[Sr. Mints]

Clamato juice is what you're served in hell as part of eternal damnation and torment, I imagine.

[NuclearFart]

It wasn't invented in Calgary, it was westernized into its current recipe in Calgary.


Yup, that's why I put invented in quotations.

[jayswin]

Invented here just like Clamato (or both urban myths that have been grossly exaggerated)

Are you thinking of the Ceaser? Because that was invented here.

[PeteLFan]

What's the fat and protein content in cat meat ?

[JonDuke]

Kinjo has AMAZING ginger beef!

[Lt.Spears]

i will eat any kind of ginger beef. just put it in my mouth.

That's what she said.

[Resolute 14]

Clamato juice is what you're served in hell as part of eternal damnation and torment, I imagine.

Agreed. The Caesar is a terrible waste of vodka.

[Sr. Mints]

Agreed. The Caesar is a terrible waste of vodka.

And celery.

[Aegypticus]

Use homemade ginger beef as the meat in a homemade Vietnamese sub. It's amazing.

[Wormius]

Yup, that's why I put invented in quotations.

What was it westernized from? There is nothing remotely like that in Chinese cuisine.. except the ginger part. Maybe from ginger yak jerky?

[Huntingwhale]

Boeuf de gingembre

[Ducay]

Agreed. The Caesar is a terrible waste of vodka.

What? You guys don't like drinking cold, salty, spicy tomato soup when you hit the bar? :rolleyes:

[cKy]

Agreed. The Caesar is a terrible waste of vodka.

Try a Caesar with Gin instead. Most places use Smirnoff Vodka, may as well just use paint thinner. Gin makes a caesar delicious.

I havent had good ginger beef or chinese food since I moved to Victoria. There is no decent places that we have found. They are all mostly horrible.

[sparky69]

From wikipedia

Ginger beef (Geung Ngao Yuk, 薑牛肉) usually refers to a westernized version of a Chinese dish made from beef and ginger. Calgary-style Ginger Beef


The western Canadian version of it is claimed to have been invented in Calgary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary), Alberta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta) in 1974 at the Silver Inn[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beef#cite_note-1), and it can still be ordered at most of the Chinese restaurants in that region.

[NuclearFart]

What was it westernized from? There is nothing remotely like that in Chinese cuisine.. except the ginger part. Maybe from ginger yak jerky?

It's basically a deep fried Szechuan dish. It's like every other westernized Chinese dish:

step 1) Deep fry it
step 2) Cover in sweet sauce
step 3) Gwai lo gulps it down and feels ethnically cultured

[Regular_John]

Try a Caesar with Gin instead. Most places use Smirnoff Vodka, may as well just use paint thinner. Gin makes a caesar delicious.


Ditto, as far as I'm concerned there's no crappy Vodka cocktail out there that can't be saved by gin.

[squiggs96]

i will eat any kind of ginger beef. just put it in my mouth.

http://blogimages.thescore.com/nhl/files/2011/10/sedins-590x431.jpg

[STeeLy]

As a Chinese person who has gone to Chinese restaurants in a lot of places.

I have yet to see ginger beef in a Chinese restaurant in Toronto or Vancouver. I have also never heard of ginger beef in Hong Kong. It was entirely unknown to me until I moved to Calgary 14 years ago.

Can't say I'm a huge fan of it though.

[Madman]

It's basically a deep fried Szechuan dish. It's like every other westernized Chinese dish:

step 1) Deep fry it
step 2) Cover in sweet sauce
step 3) Gwai lo gulps it down and feels ethnically cultured
http://cdn2.hark.com/images/000/001/930/1930/original.gif

Hey, I resemble that remark....and do not order ginger beef.

If I must, I order ginger chicken instead.

[troutman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beef

While Chinese dishes made from beef and ginger are nothing new[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beef#cite_note-0), the western Canadian version of it is claimed to have been invented in Calgary (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary), Alberta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta) in 1974 at the Silver Inn[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginger_beef#cite_note-1), and it can still be ordered at most of the Chinese restaurants in that region.

The ingredients of ginger beef can depend on where it is featured, but the western Canadian version generally consists of deep fried strips of beef coated in a dark sweet sauce that is reminiscent of other Asian sauces based on vinegar and sugar (e.g., the Japanese teriyaki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teriyaki)). It also contains flavors of ginger, garlic and hot peppers, and is commonly served with a small amount of julienned (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julienning) carrots and onions in the sauce.

I have never seen it on a menu in Ontario.

http://www.silverinnrestaurant.com/

The Silver Inn is a family-run restaurant that has been offering original Peking-Style Cuisine since 1975. We introduced Calgarians to their first taste of Peking-style cooking with dishes such as ginger beef, hot and sour soup, grilled pork dumplings, chicken and cashew in yellow bean sauce and many more.

Initially they had to serve a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches to please customers who weren't ready for the new Chinese dishes. That's when Lily's husband, George Wong who was also the restaurant's chef, decided to take out an old beef recipe he had used while in England and tweaked it to satisfy the beef eating habits of Cow Town: he coated the beef strips in batter.

The new recipe was initially called "Deep fried shredded beef in chili sauce" and the word about its delicious taste and texture soon spread around town. Ginger beef was born.

The family behind the Silver Inn will not brag about inventing the famous dish, but they are willing to admit that they helped popularize a dish that is still the best selling dish on their menu.

Our family created these delicious dishes by adapting the classic Chinese recipes to match the locally available products.

[Resolute 14]

Try a Caesar with Gin instead. Most places use Smirnoff Vodka, may as well just use paint thinner. Gin makes a caesar delicious.


It's not the vodka that's the problem. It's the seafood-flavoured cold tomato soup.

[Reaper]

Try a Caesar with Gin instead. Most places use Smirnoff Vodka, may as well just use paint thinner. Gin makes a caesar delicious.Gin? Your panties must fall off for the first guy who pays you a compliment.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

As a Chinese person who has gone to Chinese restaurants in a lot of places.

I have yet to see ginger beef in a Chinese restaurant in Toronto or Vancouver. I have also never heard of ginger beef in Hong Kong. It was entirely unknown to me until I moved to Calgary 14 years ago.

Can't say I'm a huge fan of it though.

They don't have it in Winnipeg, either. It's really mainly an Alberta thing.

[1_Flames_Fan]

I asked for a ceasar in Vegas at a lounge one time and they brought me a salad. True story.

[ma-skis.com]

I asked for a ceasar in Vegas at a lounge one time and they brought me a salad. True story.

I'm pretty sure clamato is a canada thing too, I think a bloody mary is the closest thing they have with tomato juice.

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm pretty sure clamato is a canada thing too, I think a bloody mary is the closest thing they have with tomato juice.

Nope, Clam is a Motts product line, I've seen it in the larger grocery stores in the States.

When I lived in Dallas, I went to a party with Ceasar fixins, made them extra spicy, it was the second most popular drink there.