Hungry For A Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich? ON A STICK?
It’s become an annual tradition: the Iowa State Fair has unveiled their list of new food item to be presented that this summer’s huge event!
Fairgoers walking along the Grand Concourse at the 2004 Sesquicentennial Iowa State Fair on Saturday August 21, 2004 in Des Moines, IA. (Iowa State Fair Photo)
Iowa’s Amazing State Fair!
Kudos to the Iowa state fair – for not only putting on a hugely successful event every August, but for now actually releasing an annual list of the new food to be unveiled at the fair!
A “Bacon Explosion!”
For bacon lovers, this was probably the biggest news: “The Ultimate Bacon Explosion” features 8 oz. of fresh brisket trimmings infused with a light jalapeno cheese, blended with seasonings, and then wrapped in bacon. It is then smoked and lightly sauced in a homemade Sweet Chili BBQ Sauce.
Here is one of many stories from local media showing you what to expect this year:
http://www.kcci.com/news/iowa-state-fair-to-release-new-foods-list-wednesday/33737086
And Iowa’s not the only state that is getting into the state fair food madness!
Thank You, Texas, For Your Deep-Fried Coke!
“Fried Coke” is Coca-Cola-flavored batter that’s deep-fried and garnished with Coca-Cola syrup, whipped cream, and cinnamon-sugar. Abel Gonzales Jr. won Most Creative for this concoction at the 2006 State Fair of Texas. Good job, Abel!
Indiana’s Pizza Cones!
Indian’s state fair offers this portable version of a pizza slice is a cone-shaped pizza crust filled with cheese, pepperoni, sausage, and tomato sauce, baked in an oven. And just like an ice cream cone, the cheesy treat comes wrapped in its own paper sleeve for on-the-go handheld ease. Sounds tasty and fairly healthy, considering the next item:
California Fried Avocado Bites!
It wouldn’t be California if avocado didn’t get a starring role! This recipe consists of spears of tender avocado that have been coated in a corn-dog batter and fried until golden. These vitamin-rich nuggets come with a choice of two dipping sauces: ranch or herb-infused oil.
Texas Unveils Chicken-Fried Bacon!
This ode to bacon won the award for Best Taste at the 2008 Big Tex Choice Awards. Creator Glen Kusak had been a fair vendor for 12 years running, but 2008 marked his first year entering the annual State Fair of Texas food contest.
Glen Kusak is now our hero!
The Huffington Post Food Section Digs Into Fair Food, Too!
The Huffington Post also had a great story in their food section, all about great state fair food. Among their choices:
Fat Elvis On A Stick – Wisconsin State Fair
Elvis loved his peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches. Wisconsin paid tribute to this with their latest on-a-stick creation, the Fat Elvis: a peanut butter cup dunked in banana batter, then deep-fried, and served with bacon on top, of course.
Deep Fried Cotton Candy – Texas State Fair
And how can you top this? We saw deep fried Kool-Aid last year, so we should have known that cotton candy couldn’t be that far off. As the Huffington Post says, this is pretty crazy, because it seems like the spun sugar would melt in the deep fryer. Life is full of mysteries. Not enough sweets for you? Don’t worry, this treat is served by a frozen yogurt purveyor, so feel free to use these giant balls of fried sugar as a topping on your froyo.
Enjoy your state fair “food on a stick” experience!
