Unique Cultural Dishes That Have Graced The CNE
One thing that stands out about the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is their food scene, which is considered vibrant among foodies and those willing to get out of their comfort zone and try new things. The CNE has garnered a reputation for introducing new and unexpected spins on classic fair food along with dishes from various cultures.
Whether it’s sold in their Food Building or in other food areas on the grounds, such as their Food Truck Frenzy area, listed below are some of the cultural dishes that have graced the CNE food scene in recent years.
Giant Samosa
This is a giant twist on the deep-fried South and West Indian pastry. While it tastes similar to the average samosa, which is filled with potatoes, peas and spices, there is a very noticeable size difference. It’s bigger than a typical snack-size samosa. In fact, this samosa is 12 inches long and debuted in the CNE’s 2024 line-up at the Bombay Spice Street food vendor.
Wasabi Ice-Cream
Normally, wasabi is paired with sushi. However, a classic cool summer treat and spices have been fused together to create wasabi ice-cream. This spicy cold dessert is served in a charcoal cone and has seaweed and orange sugar pearl garnishes.
Fun Fact: This is the second time the CNE sold a unique ice-cream flavour after their ketchup ice-cream debuted during the 2022 season.
Deep Fried Birria Taco Bombs
Credits go to Deep Fried Co. for creating a mini version of this popular Mexican dish. These classic Birria tacos come in a bite-sized form. The dish is comprised of a small corn tortilla ball stuffed with beef and cheese, deep fried and served with a side of consommé for dipping for that classic Birria taco experience.
Tzatziki Cheesecake
A New-York style cheesecake plus tzatziki sauce equals a new unique CNE combination. Living up to the creativity of out-of-this world CNE fusions, The Greeker Bakeshop serves a slice of cheesecake made from scratch, topped with a tzatziki buttercream and pita chips.
Sweet or Spicy Mochi Funnel Cake
Funnel Cakes are a fair food staple. Typically, they’re sprinkled with icing sugar and other toppings like ice-cream and strawberries. Made exclusively for the CNE’s 2024 season, O-Mochi reimagined this classic fair dessert in the form of their signature mochi donut in a sweet or spicy flavour. Guests wouldn’t know which flavour they got until they took their first bite.
Butter Chicken Corn Dog
The corn dog is another fair food staple that has been turned into a cultural fusion. Butter chicken, a classic Indian dish made with Tandoori chicken soaked in a creamy and buttery tomato gravy/curry, is paired with a corn dog to create this fusion. It’s a chicken hot dog coated in a masala batter and drizzled with a butter chicken sauce.
Ube Street Corn
Street corn is a classic Mexican street dish consisting of grilled corn on the cob slathered in a spicy and creamy chili, garlic and Cotija cheese. Ube street corn is a Filipino spin on the dish. This street corn fusion is coated in ube, a purple yam, before being sprinkled with cheese, sesame seeds, chili flakes and spring onions.
Churros S’mores
Instead of using graham crackers to create this campfire classic, two mini churros are used as a substitute with melted chocolate and roasted marshmallows placed in between them. This Latin campfire fusion debuted during the 2023 season.
Butter Chicken Sandwich
Chicken sandwiches have been seeing a surge in popularity in recent years, with the most popular variation being a fried chicken sandwich topped with either a regular or spicy mayo. In 2023, Rick’s Good eats debuted their Butter Chicken Overload Sandwich. It’s a Tandoori fried chicken sandwich dunked in butter chicken sauce, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, tandoori aioli, cheddar cheese and butter chicken loaded fries and placed in between two butter chicken samosas serving as the buns.
Poutine Pizza
Poutine is a classic Canadian dish that consists of fries covered in gravy and topped with cheese curds. Pizza is an Italian dish that has made its way over to other parts of the world, becoming a popular fare. Wood Fire Pizza fused these foods together to create the Poutine Pizza, an authentic wood-fired pizza covered in gravy and topped with fries and cheese curds with a green onion garnish.
As the CNE’s food scene continues to increase in popularity, those who are visiting the grounds for the first time can expect to see more creative dishes, with a touch of cultural fusions added to the mix.