| | AR’s Regional Cuisine Initiative | Upcoming Events | Dine Alberta: Savour Regional Flavour | Dine Alberta press release | Regional cuisine links | Research | Newsletters
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Agriculture and Rural Development's Regional Cuisine Initiative
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The term Regional Cuisine refers to locally produced/grown ingredients or processed products that have traceability back to a farm, locality, or province. This would include all foods that specify origin on the menu of a restaurant or food event.
First and foremost it is our objective within the Regional Cuisine Initiative to connect Alberta agricultural production and food products with the consumer.
How will you know if you're eating regional cuisine? Many chefs make a point of letting you know that the food you're served is regional cuisine by putting the farm name or local of the product right on their menu. And of course, when in doubt, ask!
So, next time you're dining out, look for dishes marked as regional cuisine and enjoy the bounty that is available in our own backyard.
Contact:
Marlene Abrams 780-968-3519 (toll free in Alberta by dialing 310-0000)
Upcoming Regional Cuisine Events
- Growing Alberta presents.... EATING - is there a solution to the confusion? What the agri-food industry needs to know. Join us for an "Afternoon of Food For Thought" on September 10, 2008 at Festival Place, Sherwood Park. The afternoon will feature key note speaker and author, Dr. Joe Schwarcz, Director – McGill Office for Science and Society and a "Dine Alberta" sampler reception. Click here (pdf 354kb) for full details and information on how you can purchase your ticket to this exciting event.
- Finding Success with Food Service - February 2008 - presentations from workshop below
- 2008/09 Agri-preneur Scholarship Guidelines and Application Form
Dine Alberta: Savour the Regional Flavour
The purpose of the Dine Alberta project is to increase the use and sales of Alberta grown vegetables, fresh and processed specialty meats, fruit and other locally grown or processed ingredients. Increased consumer and restaurant industry awareness of Alberta agri-food products will assist small and diversified agri-food industries in their ability to market their goods, become more profitable, and contribute to the sustainability of the Alberta agriculture economy.
Regional cuisine advocates the usage of quality locally grown ingredients, in union with the culture, geography, and history of Alberta. The "Dine Alberta: Savour the Regional Flavour" project is a stimulating way to showcase local agriculture products and their unique advantages. In doing so it links producers, processors, distributors, foodservice personnel, media, consumers and diners.
The expected outcome is increased demand for locally grown and/or processed ingredients, which will result in increased profits for Alberta producers. It is also expected that spin-off economic benefits will be realized by the hospitality and tourism industry because they will be able to add value to their industries by utilizing local agri-food products as part of the dining or tourist experience.
Dine Alberta Restaurant Directory - Visit one of Alberta's 118 restaurants/food service venues that serve local Alberta ingredients on their menus year round. Not sure where to find them, check out the Dine Alberta on-line mapping that gives you driving directions.
Alberta Regional Cuisine Sourcing Directory - Searchable Database - This on-line searchable directory gives Chefs or their product buyers and the public a source for purchasing a wide range of Alberta grown ingredients and/or value-added products. It is updated annually as part of the Dine Alberta project.
Dine Alberta - watch for 2008 news releases coming soon.
Dine Alberta is Changing
"Dine Alberta All Year Round"
Our spring campaign, "Dine Alberta all year round" is an insert in Growing Alberta's June "Food For Thought" magazine. Food for Thought will be available June 1st at Grocery Retail Distributors, in all Alberta stores of:
- Safeway
- Save-On Foods
- Calgary Co-op
- Sunterra Market
- Superstore
- Extra Foods
Enter our Dine Alberta All Year Round Contest to win a chance to eat, shop and experience local food.
Thank you for your support to Alberta producers, including ranchers, farmers, greenhouse growers and beekeepers; to those fantastic restaurant chefs that created those wonderful meals; and to the dedicated staff that served your table.
The development team is proud of the incredible network of people that have worked together to present you with a Dine Alberta savour regional flavour experience. |
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Regional Cuisine Links
Travel Canada -- A comprehensive guide for attractions and events across the country. When you travel in Alberta, take time to enjoy regional cuisine.
Slow Food Calgary -- Our Mandate is to create connections between consumers, chefs, food processors and producers of organic and sustainable agricultural products as well as to create public awareness of local farmer’s products and acknowledge the restaurants and processors supporting them.
City Palate -- A publication celebrating Calgary’s food culture, written for people who are passionately interested in good food and drink.
Foodgirl.ca -- A collection of published articles, current and upcoming projects and sundry culinary happenings and recipes.
International Culinary Tourism Association
If you are member of the Alberta Farmers' Market Association, the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association and/or the Dine Alberta program you will automatically be linked via those groups to a website called Chomp Around Alberta. This site is set up as a one stop shop launching pad to locally raised food experiences across Alberta.
Research
Attracting Consumers with Locally Grown Products -- A report prepared by the Food Processing Centre, University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Chef Demand for Alberta Regional Foods in Food Service - A study done by Agriculture and Food in cooperation with chefs across Alberta
Newsletters
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Explore Direct E-News - Creative nuggets and news for Alberta Farm Direct Marketers
Learn Agri-food Network Newsletter |
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