The Food of Clowns and Acrobats

What does the cast of Cirque Du Soleil’s Saltimbanco eat to keep up such a demanding act? Nothing quite as colorful as their costumes, to be sure, but the menu is as thought out as the show itself. Frank Harroun is the executive tour chef and tells the Leader-Post, “Everything we serve is fresh. No real canned or frozen product going out. Everything is made from scratch.”

What are some of Harroun’s selections for the performers? One meal was either shrimp or tofu in a garlic and coriander broth with Japanese soba noodles or rack of lamb with rice and bok choy. Since the performers come from such varied places – 21 different countries to be exact – Harroun also tries to provide some dishes to make the performers feel at home like Russian or Asian dishes. He also makes an effort to have the cast get a flavor of the local cuisine where ever they are performing as well. He serves 180 to 200 meals a day to 90 people and knows that the nutrition of these elite athletes is incredibly important. To make sure they don’t get bored, he also works to infuse variety into the meals.

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