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  1. HomeChevron Right
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  3. America's Wacky Fair Foods

America's Wacky Fair Foods

By Food & Wine
Updated June 28, 2017
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Hawaii: Chicken-Fried Bacon
Credit: Photo © Irene Chen
Cotton candy, corn dogs and candy apples once ruled the midway at the local fair, but visitors now want food that's exotic—as long as it's on a stick, or more importantly, fried. From health–defying anomalies like fried dough injected with Pepsi to squirm–inducing chocolate–dipped scorpions, the new sideshow is food. —Justine Sterling
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Indiana: Hot Beef Sundae

Indiana: Hot Beef Sundae
Credit: Photo © Tom Coates

Indianapolis

When state fairgoers tired of the iconic rib eye steak sandwich, Indiana's Beef Cattle Association invented the Hot Beef Sundae, layered with mashed potatoes, marinated beef, gravy, cheese, corn "sprinkles" and a cherry (tomato).

  • Delicious Beef Recipes

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Texas: Fried Beer

Texas: Fried Beer
Credit: Photo © Amanda Gillispie

Dallas

Even alcohol can be fried when it's pocketed in pretzel dough. The food innovation won the 2010 Big Tex Choice Awards at the Texas State Fair.

  • Cooking with Beer

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Montana: Fried Butter Balls

Montana: Fried Butter Balls
Credit: Photo © Heather Leah Kennedy

Great Falls

While the Montana State Fair is famous for its Big Sky ProRodeo Roundup, Paula Deen wannabes and other fried-food enthusiasts head for the deep-fried butter balls.

  • Buttery Comfort Foods

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Kansas: Pickle Pop

Kansas: Pickle Pop
Credit: Photo © Harper Reed

Hutchinson

The Kansas State Fair's answer to a freezer pop—filled with briny pickle juice—is a chilling, supersour pairing for the region's famous barbecue.

  • F&W's Frozen Desserts

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California: Python Kebabs

California: Python Kebabs
Credit: Photo © Dan Scott of The Sac Rag

Sacramento

After realizing that visitors to the California Exposition & State Fair wanted more adventurous foods, vendor George Sandefur changed his offerings from chicken to foods that "taste like chicken." Grilled python kebabs seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, Old Bay and lemon-pepper are a new favorite.

  • Delicious Kebab Recipes

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Massachusetts: Fried Jelly Beans

Massachusetts: Fried Jelly Beans
Credit: Melissa Rebelo

West Springfield

The Big E (a nickname for the Massachusetts State Fair) doesn't force a choice between candy and funnel cake. These jelly beans are dipped in batter before being deep-fried.

  • All-American Desserts

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Wisconsin: Elvis on a Stick

Wisconsin: Elvis on a Stick
Credit: Photo © Brian Jacobson

West Allis

The Slim McGinn's stand at the Wisconsin State Fair pays homage to legendary musician Elvis Presley and his love for excess with a portable dessert called Elvis on a Stick: a deep fried banana-battered peanut butter cup with bacon.

  • Hearty Stew

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Florida: Cheeseburger with Fried Ice Cream

Florida: Cheeseburger with Fried Ice Cream
Credit: Photo © Courtesy of Dennis and Cheryl Reas

Tampa

One Florida State Fairgoer rationalized the appeal of a cheeseburger topped with deep-fried ice cream by describing the salty-sweet hybrid as a "milk-shake burger."

  • More Fried Foods

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Ohio: Chocolate-Covered Bacon on a Stick

Ohio: Chocolate-Covered Bacon on a Stick
Credit: Photo © A. Bill Miller

Columbus

Known as "a muddy pig," chocolate-covered bacon on a stick isn't new to fairgrounds, but the Ohio State Fair gilds the salty-sweet construction with a candied cherry.

  • Great Bacon Recipes

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Alaska: Reindeer Sausage

Alaska: Reindeer Sausage
Credit: Photo © Courtesy of FishEx

Palmer

Alaska's State Fair celebrates the sunny season with grilled local reindeer sausages and a giant-cabbage contest. The current record of 139 pounds was set in 2012.

  • Great Sausage Recipes

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Minnesota: Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick

Minnesota: Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick
Credit: Photo © Mike Immekus/Leadfoot's Bar & Grill

Falcon Heights

The Minnesota State Fair (a.k.a. The Great Minnesota Get-Together) serves everything from candy apples to camel meat on a stick. To transform an iconic Italian dish into a portable novelty, spaghetti is mixed into a meatball, which is then cooked, battered, fried, skewered and rolled in marinara sauce.

  • Fantastic Meatballs

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Alabama: Krispy Kreme Hamburgers

Alabama: Krispy Kreme Hamburgers
Credit: Photo © Bob B. Brown

Birmingham

The doughnut burger at the Alabama State Fair features a quarter-pound hamburger, bacon, cheese and two glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts in place of a single bun. The monstrosity contains nearly 1,100 calories and 67 grams of fat.

  • Great Doughnut Recipes

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North Carolina: Kool-Aid Pickles

North Carolina: Kool-Aid Pickles
Credit: Photo © deepfriedkudzu.com

Raleigh

Also known as Koolickles, pickles soaked in the sugary kids' beverage are a Southern tradition—and a sweet-and-sour snack at North Carolina's annual state fair.

  • More Fantastic Pickles

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Illinois: Alligator on a Stick

Illinois: Alligator on a Stick
Credit: Photo © Michael Braly

Springfield

After enjoying some gator antics at the State Fair's Swampmaster Alligator Show, visitors can sample the entertainment, deep-fried, on a stick.

  • More Fried Foods

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Arkansas: Deep-Fried Egg on a Stick

Arkansas: Deep-Fried Egg on a Stick
Credit: Photo © Kat Robinson

Little Rock

While other fairs fry liquids and supersize burgers, the Arkansas State Fair exalted the simple hard-boiled egg with a dunk in batter and oil and a selection of dipping sauces, like jalapeño-ranch and sweet-and-sour.

  • More Egg Recipes

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California: Deep-Fried White Castle Burgers

California: Deep-Fried White Castle Burgers
Credit: Photo © JoAnn Maxwell Stougaard

Costa Mesa

The Orange County Fair is so dedicated to frying that a vendor called Heart Attack Café chose Deep Fried Butter Stand as its new name after being pressured with legal action by Arizona's Heart Attack Grill. Even more stupendous: Chicken Charlie's fried White Castle cheeseburgers (bun and all) at the 2011 fair.

  • Best Burgers in the U.S.

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New York: Kangaroo Spiedies

New York: Kangaroo Spiedies
Credit: Photo © flickr.com/people/mikes_trips/

Syracuse

The Great New York State Fair, the oldest in the US, spotlights a local sandwich specialty known as a spiedie, featuring marinated cubes of grilled meat on a soft Italian roll. While chicken, lamb, or beef is a common filling, kangaroo loin made an exotic replacement at 2011's event.

  • Sandwich Recipes

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Oregon: Roadkill

Oregon: Roadkill
Credit: Photo © Courtesy of Oregon State Fair

Salem

Oregon State Fair in 2011 was home to a flattened, deep-fried dough delicacy that just looks like it tried to cross the road at the wrong time, complete with oozing fruity sauces and syrups.

  • Fun Summer Desserts

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California: Chocolate-Covered Scorpions

California: Chocolate-Covered Scorpions
Credit: Photo © Sabrina Hampton

Pleasanton

At the Alameda County Fair, raccoon on a stick was barely adventurous compared to crunchy, chocolate-covered scorpions—though the dessert was no longer poisonous.

  • Delicious Chocolate Candies

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Oklahoma: Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes on a Stick

Oklahoma: Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes on a Stick
Credit: Photo © Rich Hutchinson

Tulsa

At the state fair in Tulsa, bacon-cheddar mashed potatoes are formed into balls before being beer-battered, fried and served on a stick with ranch dressing.

  • Fantastic Mashed Potatoes

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South Carolina: Fried Pepsi

South Carolina: Fried Pepsi
Credit: Photo © Sean Mellody

Columbia

Pepsi was created in North Carolina, but it's hardly recognizable in South Carolina, where state fair vendors injected fried dough with Pepsi syrup and topped the result with powdered sugar and more syrup.

  • More Portable Desserts

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Iowa: Octo-Dog

Iowa: Octo-Dog
Credit: Photo © Cia_B of writingwithmymouthfull.com

Des Moines

Iowa's annual state fair prides itself on big animals: The Big Boar, the Largest Rabbit, the Heaviest Pigeon. The diminutive Octo-Dog is just another mutant food. Sliced so its strips curl up during cooking, a hot dog is then speared with a straw for easy pick-up and served on a "sandy floor" of macaroni.

  • More Creative Hot Dogs

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Hawaii: Chicken-Fried Bacon

Hawaii: Chicken-Fried Bacon
Credit: Photo © Irene Chen

Wailuku

The Maui County Fair is home to local specialties like poi (made from taro), banana lumpia (similar to spring rolls) and tuna poke (like tartare), but vendors nod to mainland tastes with chicken-fried bacon.

  • More Southern Comfort Food

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 23 Indiana: Hot Beef Sundae
    2 of 23 Texas: Fried Beer
    3 of 23 Montana: Fried Butter Balls
    4 of 23 Kansas: Pickle Pop
    5 of 23 California: Python Kebabs
    6 of 23 Massachusetts: Fried Jelly Beans
    7 of 23 Wisconsin: Elvis on a Stick
    8 of 23 Florida: Cheeseburger with Fried Ice Cream
    9 of 23 Ohio: Chocolate-Covered Bacon on a Stick
    10 of 23 Alaska: Reindeer Sausage
    11 of 23 Minnesota: Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick
    12 of 23 Alabama: Krispy Kreme Hamburgers
    13 of 23 North Carolina: Kool-Aid Pickles
    14 of 23 Illinois: Alligator on a Stick
    15 of 23 Arkansas: Deep-Fried Egg on a Stick
    16 of 23 California: Deep-Fried White Castle Burgers
    17 of 23 New York: Kangaroo Spiedies
    18 of 23 Oregon: Roadkill
    19 of 23 California: Chocolate-Covered Scorpions
    20 of 23 Oklahoma: Deep-Fried Mashed Potatoes on a Stick
    21 of 23 South Carolina: Fried Pepsi
    22 of 23 Iowa: Octo-Dog
    23 of 23 Hawaii: Chicken-Fried Bacon

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