Doesn't matter whether it's clothing, electronics, automobiles or sporting equipment, there's always a new way or approach popping up to make it better. In most cases it's a modification of an existing item, tweaking a little bit around the edges to hopefully get a more improved product. We're talking Windows 11 over 10, Air Jordan 40 over 39, "Mission: Impossible" whatever version we're up to over the last iteration. In far fewer examples it's a radical reimaging of the existing space, that rare breakthrough that either succeeds wildly or fails miserably. Think iPhone vs. Google Glasses, Diet Coke vs New Coke, Elon Musk vs Elon Musk.
And so it is in the world of state fair foods. This sub-genre of gastronomy is showcased around the country every summer. Heavily reliant on frying as a cooking technique, humungous as a portion and sticky as a topping, it varies fair by fair, though the basic building blocks and form are the same. It's all about cheese and sugar, turkey legs and dough, sticks and paper plates - often all at the same time – combined with their offshoots and cousins in new and different ways. Sometimes it succeeds wildly if inelegantly. Other times it's just a sloppy mess that isn't worth the 120,000 calories per serving. But as with any artistic endeavor, one man's Pizza Curd Cheese Tacos is another's Deep-Fried Tofuego Bites: beauty (as it were) is the eye of the eater.
You need look no further that the upcoming Minnesota State Fair to see this play out in real time. For sure there are the usual favorites and standard bearers, such as Australian Battered Potatoes (battered and deep-fried sliced potatoes with toppings such as spicy chipotle sauce, sweet chili and hot honey), Mancini's al Fresco (Italian egg scramblers, including their signature Messy Giuseppe) and Sara's Tipsy Pies (including Boozy Blueberry Lemon infused with alcohol). But because having just Sausage Sister and Me with their Twisted Sister on-a-stick (Italian sausage wrapped in breadstick dough) is never enough, this year there are 33 official new foods plus eight new vendors. And it is in this laboratory of progress that new icons are either born or licked off quickly.
What are the contenders? O'Gara's leaned on the Saturday Dumpling Company to create their new Pot of Gold Potato Dumplings, described as cheesy garlic mashed potato dumplings accompanied by a chive-onion dip. BABA's is showcasing its new Fawaffle, which is falafel batter pressed into the shape of a waffle, then topped with tahini butter, tomatoes, hummus, green sauce, and mint. On the sweet side the West End Creamery is showing Grandma Doreen's Dessert Dog, a coffee cake ice cream sandwich skewered on a stick and drizzled with house-made strawberry rhubarb jam. And going sweet and savory are Fluffy's Hot Honey Jalapeño Popper Donuts, which are yeast-raised doughnuts frosted with homemade jalapeño cream cheese, and topped with crumbled bacon, pickled jalapeños, and drizzled with hot honey. One man's ceiling, and all that.
Those are just some of the contenders for your stomach. There's also the Croffle Cloud, croissant batter done in a waffle iron, topped with whipped cream, fruit puree, and a cloud of cotton candy. Or how about the Tandoori Chicken Quesarath, which is an Indian riff on a quesadilla, but with paratha bread topped with tandoori chicken, then layered with a blend of Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese and a mixture of sauteed onions, mixed bell peppers, jalapeños, corn, cilantro, and green chilis. And if you want in on the pickle juice craze, you can try the Dill Pickle Iced Tea, garnished with a rim of chamoy, Tajín, salt, and dill. Check, please.
It remains to be seen if any of these will survive till next year, let alone achieve the lofty status of the favorites of the Fair, such as the Juicy Lucy, a hamburger patty with the cheese cooked inside rather than on top. It's a tall burrito to climb, but will the Triple Chocolate Mini Donuts, made of chocolate mini doughnuts with chocolate icing and chocolate sprinkles and chocolate chips in a bucket rimmed with chocolate icing make the cut? See for yourself: the fair starts on August 21 and runs for two weeks, so you best book your tickets now lest they run out of Pimento Cheese Puffs.
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Marc Wollin of Bedford likes to see new food combinations, usually. His column appears weekly via email and online on Substack and Blogspot as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.
