Summer means state fairs and millions across the country show up for the rides, prize-winning livestock, and crafts, but it’s the food that people really get excited about. Where else can you indulge in so many deep fried goodies or foods on a stick? And sometimes, you get both! Here are some of the best eats at state fairs across the U.S.:
- At the Indiana State Fair they served up the “Hot Beef Sundae,” it’s mashed potatoes covered in beef, cheese, corn and topped with gravy and a cherry tomato, of course.
- This year at the Wisconsin State Fair, daring folks dined on “Three Little Pigs Ravioli,” which is bacon “noodles” filled with pork, covered in bourbon BBQ jam and cheese. “Spam cheese curds” are also a crowd favorite, along with Cajun dumplings, deep fried butter, deep fried eggs, and deep fried pickles, covered in ranch sauce.
- And at the Illinois State Fair, people enjoyed cheesy fried olives on a stick, bacon on a stick, and something called “Elvis on a Stick,” which is a deep fried banana, battered, covered in peanut butter, and wrapped in bacon. Because of course it is.
State fairs across the country love to put everything on a stick, since it’s easier to get around the fairgrounds that way. There was bread on a stick, salad on a stick and even chocolate-covered bacon brownies on a stick!
They even fry the sweets at state fairs! It started with the deep fried Twinkie years ago and since then, everything from Oreos to Snickers bars have been tossed in the deep fryer. This year, the enchanting “Unicorn” was a big seller at the Wisconsin State Fair. It’s a cake filled with “cotton candy cream,” topped with butter and sprinkled with edible glitter, and of course, it’s served on a stick.
No word on if they offered up complimentary insulin shots or cholesterol meds with these foods...