 Ginger beef served on a plate | |
| Course | Main dishes |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Canada |
| Region or state | Alberta |
| Main ingredients | Beef, ginger, sweet sauce |
| Ingredients generally used | Garlic, hot peppers, sugar, soy sauce, cooking oil, cornstarch |
| Variations | carrot, onion |
| Part of a series on |
| Canadian cuisine |
|---|
 |
Ginger beef is a Canadian Chinese dish made from beef, ginger, and a distinctive sweet sauce.
The ingredients of ginger beef can depend on where it is featured, but the Albertan 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. It also contains flavors of ginger, garlic, and hot peppers, and is commonly served with a small amount of julienned carrots and onions in the sauce.[1] Ginger beef is derived from the original Geung Ngao Yuk (Chinese: 薑牛肉) dish.
As with many dishes, the invention of ginger beef is claimed by several restaurants and chefs. However, the most widely accepted origin attributes the dish's development during the mid-1970s by chef George Wong at the Silver Inn in Calgary, Alberta.[2][3][4][5] The dish is now a very common offering in Canadian Chinese restaurants.[4][5][6] A radio segment featuring ginger beef was aired on CBC Radio One programme The Main Ingredient.[7] In September 2022 the Silver Inn announced it would permanently close after serving the community for 45 years.[8]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Calgary Style Ginger Beef Recipe". ChowTown. October 21, 2009.
- ^ "Chop Suey on the Prairies". Royal Alberta Museum. Archived from the original on 2012-08-29.
- ^ "Chinese New Year: Silver Inn, Calgary". CBC News. February 15, 2007. Archived from the original on 2009-03-30.
- ^ a b Beneteau, Greg (March 12, 2013). "7 Iconic Calgary Foods: Chicago has deep-dish pizza. Boston has baked beans. What about Calgary?". Avenue Calgary.
- ^ a b Wingrove, Josh (April 30, 2013). "The Chinese restaurant as a Prairie icon". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ Gillmor, Alison (July 28, 2012). "History on a plate: Heritage of the Chinese restaurant is both sweet and sour, a mixture of outmoded stereotypes and genuine cultural exchange". Winnipeg Free Press.
- ^ Chang, Joan (August 23, 2010). "Episode 9: Canadian Edition". The Main Ingredient. CBC Radio One.
- ^ Short, Hogan (September 26, 2022). "Silver Inn Restaurant: Calgary restaurant shutting down next month". The Daily Hive.