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Summer time means state fairs upping the stakes in the "Crazy foods at the fair" war

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XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Minnesota State Fair introduces Deep Fried Lamb Testicles, Chicken Nachos On-A-Stick, Camel Meat Sliders among 40 new food items.

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Deep-Fried Samoa Girl Scout Cookies Ready For Texas State Fair Debut

“The cookie is a Girl Scout icon,” Walker said. “Why not have some fun with it and tie it into the State Fair? … Fried items are part of the State Fair history. They get a lot of fun buzz.”

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Florida state fair to debut Mac-and-cheese burger, deep-fried mashed potatoes, deep-fried bubblegum, Bacon peanut butter burger

Deep-fried bubble gum consists of bubble-gum-flavored marshmallows dipped in a batter and deep fried “as is,” then drizzled with a pink and blue icing and a few Chicklets sprinkled on top.

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2 lb Big Rib the talk of California state fair

That craving could well extend to this year's big-buzz novelty dish, the Big Rib. It's a chunk of meat so intimidating that it could have stepped out of a vegan's worst nightmare, or into a carnivore's sweetest dream. Think "Conan the Barbarian."

The Big Rib is 2 pounds of USDA prime beef attached to a 17-inch-long rib, giving a new dimension to the "on a stick" template.

"We needed to find a barbecue product to compete with the turkey leg, something different but similar," explained Big Rib creator and veteran concessionaire Dominick Palmieri. "Everybody wants something on a stick, so the rib bone is the stick. We did six months of research and development to get it to where it is."

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The 'Horseshoe" is the new food star of Illinois state fair

The horseshoe, the calorie-laden behemoth of a blue plate lunch, is making an appearance at this year’s fair.

Yum-o!

Nothing beats two pieces of toast, a pile of shaved meat, a mound of fries, a faux nod to health with a broiled tomato slice, all covered with creamy cheese sauce and a sprinkle of paprika.

Purists maintain the recipe leapt — crawled, perhaps? — to fame in Springfield at a downtown tavern. (Indeed, after a while, if you spend much time at a tavern, a pile of meat and cheese on toast sounds like a good idea.) But, like burgoo and mountain oysters, the hefty horseshoe maintains a stranglehold only here in Central Illinois.

The horseshoe, or ponyshoe, for the lighter appetite, will be the focus one of several new food contests at this year’s fair. Entries will be judged on taste, creativity and appearance. Good luck, judges, on that last one: In the horseshoe world, you can play around with the type of meat and the sauce recipe, but it all looks the same when layered on a plate.

Wisconsin state fair to feature Fat Elvis on-a-stick

the Fat Elvis on-a-stick features a peanut butter cup in banana batter with -- what else? -- bacon.
 
Would try a deep-fried Samoa. Or five.

Everything else looks like a nightmare. To be fair, I was actually at the Minnesota State Fair last year and ventured to try deep fried cheese curds, which were pretty good. Also the deep fried walleye sandwiches were fantastic. I drew the line at deep fried butter sticks though.
 

Vyroxis

Banned
I may have to go to the Minnesota State Fair one of these years.

It's been a few years since I have been there, thinking of going again just to see if I can scrounge up some deep fried lutefisk again. Nothing like deep fried rotten fish to max out the 'Bad for your health' scale.
 

Mr. F

Banned
There's a restaurant chain in Ontario that has a crazy number of burger toppings, Mac and Cheese included. Sounds awesome.

Also deep friend mashed potatoes sounds incredible.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
That rib looks legitimately appetizing. Everything else doesn't seem all that special.

Couldn't find any pics of the more "interesting" sounding items, like that bacon peanut butter burger. Though I get the feeling that one would have a different meaning in terms of "special" around here.
 

Jerrod

Member
Illinois keeps it pretty tame, and but the food at the Illinois State Fair is pretty much the only reason I go anymore. The cheese curds are the best!
 

EYEL1NER

Member
The SC state fair in the fall has pretty tame stuff, mostly deep-fried items like coke, butter, Oreos, and more.
What I love, and isn't too wild I suppose, are the donut burgers. Goddamned Krispy Kreme glazed donuts as buns with bacon, cheese, and burger in between them.
The heat off of the meat caramelizes the glaze on the donuts.
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For us vegetarians:

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Arborio rice balls with black beans, cheese, scallions and spices, hand-rolled and dipped in tapioca flour and egg wash, then dipped in gluten-free crushed corn tortilla chips.

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Eggplant Caramelos (Tacos)

Served with roasted red pepper, sautéed onion, Chihuahua cheese and chimichurri aioli.
 

magicstop

Member
I have the weirdest boner.

No state fair here until October, dammit. I would pay a stupid sum of money for some deep fried Somoa cookies and that burger with mac and cheese on it. Hnnnnnnnnggggggg
 

Ominym

Banned
A lot of state fairs will have booths where you bring anything you want and they fry it. It's sort of like a choose your own adventure.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
More foods:

State Fair Meadowlands in New Jersey:

This year’s fair, located next to the Met Life Stadium on Route 3 in East Rutherford, features new attractions such as a Live Shark Encounter and new foods like alligator on a stick and fried peanut butter and jelly.

Indiana State fair

Although not officially announced, deep-fried bubble gum and deep-fried M&Ms are said to be making their fair debut.

California state fair also to feature deep-fried cheeseburgers and pork chop on a stick

Over 100 vendors will be peddling their edible wares at the California State Fair, which runs from July 12th through the 29th. Some of the entrees that will be made available to adventurous foodies include the Big Beef Rib (essentially, a big ass 24-ounce steak jammed onto a 17-inch cow rib), a deep-fried cheeseburger (complete with jalapeno cheese), and, last but not least, a pork chop on a stick.

Can't leave out a mention of the San Diego county fair. Last year they had deep fried Kool-Aid, this year its deep-fried Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

“These deep-fried Trix aren’t for kids, unless you want to contribute to the obesity problem,” wrote Shauntel Lowe, who previewed the treat for the Imperial Beach Patch website. “The doughy ball of greasy cereal wasn’t bad, but it definitely isn’t something I’d go out of my way to buy.”

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If I could I'd plan a trip to visit all the state fairs in the US and eat everything that looks appetising, then will promptly die of a heart attack most likely.
 
So basically take something that exists allready and then deep fry it for some reason?

Sounds like that add from The Simpsons.
 
I will be going to the state fair in Sac sometime before it ends this month. I will stand in line as long as it may take to get a delicious Big Rib.
 

ChiTownBuffalo

Either I made up lies about the Boston Bomber or I fell for someone else's crap. Either way, I have absolutely no credibility and you should never pay any attention to anything I say, no matter what the context. Perm me if I claim to be an insider
The Wisconsin State Fair is fun. I really like Milwaukee. A couple things about it:

1. Weird that white supremacists hung signs over the sides of highway overpasses. That was an odd thing to see.

2. Jamie Oliver is right. I was looking for veggies there and any veggie I found was deep fried.

As for the Illinois Horseshoe, it's some sort of weird mid/souther state staple.
 

KSai

Member
I love fair food. Last year I ate a Monster Dog and threw up once I got home. Can't forget to get a solid block of curly fries too!
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
If I could I'd plan a trip to visit all the state fairs in the US and eat everything that looks appetising, then will promptly die of a heart attack most likely.

Try to do it within a span of a single summer, and you're probably right.
 
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