Ginger beef
Ginger beef is a Canadian Chinese dish made from beef, ginger, and a distinctive sweet sauce.
Course | Main dishes |
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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 |
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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]
References
- "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.
- Beneteau, Greg (March 12, 2013). "7 Iconic Calgary Foods: Chicago has deep-dish pizza. Boston has baked beans. What about Calgary?". Avenue Calgary.
- 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.