Posted on 07/23/2010 2:05:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Smoked lizard dipped in barbecue sauce. Deep-fried crickets. Fudge-covered scorpion. Nope, these aren’t the latest exotic street food offerings from half a world away. These multilegged dishes are prepared by a vendor known as Chef John at the Arizona State Fair, held every fall in Phoenix.
State fairs, of course, are synonymous with fried foods. And while the usual staples like funnel cakes remain, cooking up unusual options has become a sport in itself. At fairs across the U.S., concessionaires delight in one-upping each other with the strangest, fattiest, most questionably edible snacks, many of which fall into one of two genres: “deep-fried” or “on a stick.” (Some are both, like deep-fried M&Ms on a stick.)
“I want to be surprised and amazed,” says Sue Stoecklein, commercial exhibits director for the Kansas State Fair, who’s looking forward to this year’s Krispy Kreme burger, which sandwiches an all-beef patty, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo in between two glazed doughnuts.
Food booths at fairs emerged around 1900, mostly just selling local meats and baked goods. But the introduction of such treats as waffle cones, cotton candy, hot dogs, and Dr. Pepper at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis ushered in an unending era of novelty foods. In 1942, Texas debuted the foodsicle concept with the corn dog. And in the early ’80s, concessionaires set out to prove that nearly everything—pickle juice included—could be served on a stick.
Today, the market for sticks and deep fryers remains strong. In Dallas, frying the unfryable has become a personal challenge for Texas State Fair concessionaire Abel Gonzales Jr., who’s made his home state proud with creations like fried butter and fried Coke. The Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, meanwhile, offers more than 70 foods on a stick, including Scotch eggs—hard-boiled and wrapped in sausage meat and bread crumbs, then deep-fried—and Key lime pie. Most concessionaires will go to great lengths to get it right: Stoecklein points to her fried green tomato guy who drove overnight to Missouri for better produce.
While admirable attempts have been made to implement some healthier options—this year the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines will feature salad on a stick—dieting isn’t encouraged, and many salad and health-wrap stands aren’t invited back for a second year.
So check out these odd foods when you visit your next state fair. And if you end up in Phoenix, wondering how to eat that deep-fried scorpion, stick to Chef John’s advice: start with the head.
No way.
Spaghetti and Meatballs on a Stick
Pork Parfait
NOw that's an Apple. Eat your heart out, Steve Jobs.
Nope. I’ll stick to funnel cake.
Where’s the chicken lips?
Ask the Colonel
ping
2005 Most Creative - Viva Las Vegas Fried Ice Cream
2005 Best Taste - Fried PB, Jelly and Banana Sandwich
2006 Most Creative - Fried Coke
2006 Best Taste - Fried Praline Perfection
2007 Most Creative - Deep Fried Latte
2007 Best Taste - Texas Fried Cookie Dough
2008 Most Creative - Fried Banana Split
2008 Best Taste - Chicken Fried Bacon
2009 Most Creative - Deep Fried Butter
2009 Best Taste - Fernie’s Deep Fried Peaches & Cream
http://www.bigtex.com/sft/Nav/FoodFinder.asp
Deep fried food on a stick ping.
That stuff is awesome.
‘Fernie’s Deep Fried Peaches & Cream’
Yum!
*barf*
I’m going to our county fair tonight but I’ll just be indulging in cheese curds and beer.
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