The annual North Carolina State Fair begins in Raleigh on October 11 and runs through October 21. It’s been about five years or so since I last made the trip out to attend the fair and enjoy everything they have to offer out there. Unfortunately, I probably won’t make it out to Raleigh this year either.

But after reading about all the food which will be offered this time, I sure wish I was! You all might disagree with me, but it is my firm belief that the food is the best part of any fair. It’s the time to forget about your healthy diets for an hour or two and try all the strange things you don’t have a chance to eat usually.

There is, of course, the expected favorites like funnel cakes, turkey legs, deep-fried oreos, and the like. But the new stuff this year is much more… perhaps “fantastic” is the right word to use. Any combination of food you can think of? It looks like you might be able to find it at the state fair this year.

Here’s a few of the most exciting new foods listed on the fair’s website:

Roasted & glazed sweet corn with bacon from Douglas Farms: “traditional roasted corn, dipped in doughnut glaze and rolled in bacon.” That seems simple enough even if that’s not a combination I ever would have thought of. It also seems a bit messier than regular corn on the cob.

Crème Brulee Cheesecake from Miss Debbie’s Specialty Apples: “a Granny Smith apple dipped in caramel, covered in white chocolate, rolled in crème brulee cheesecake, topped with toasted brown sugar.” Goodness, I wonder how many bites you have to take until you get to the actual apple inside! This vendor will also offer new selections of candied apples such as the “pumpkin spice latte” and “unicorn apple.”

Chocolate chip hushpuppies from Ragin’ Cajun: these hushpuppies are topped with southern gravy and powdered sugar. That sounds like a delectable combination to me! (But maybe hold the gravy please.) Ragin’ Cajun will also offer country ham and cheddar cheese hushpuppies as well for those who want something a little less sweet but also just as artery-clogging.

Crack-n-cheese waffle cone from Hickory Tree Turkey BBQ: “a waffle cone of mac-n-cheese, topped with turkey barbecue, turkey cracklings, coleslaw and signature sauce.” Both the food and the name sound like a mouthful! I gotta say this might be my favorite based solely on the name alone.

Unicorn bacon and jalapeno Cheetos bacon from Bubba’s Bacon: the unicorn is described as “bacon-on-a-stick dipped in glaze and rolled in Fruity Pebbles cereal” while the other offering is “bacon-on-a-stick dipped in jalapeno nacho cheese and rolled in Cheetos.” As much as I love bacon… I think I’d probably skip these two choices. But I give them bonus points for how ridiculous the entire concept is.

I guess when it comes to fair food, the old saying is true: “if you can dream it, you can do it.” Kudos to the creative people who came up with these weird concoctions. Not everyone can handle the idea of strange foods. I know I’ve been teased for sticking French fries in my ice cream before, and that’s not even half as weird as putting crème brulee cheesecake on a candy apple.

On second thought, maybe it’s best that I’m not going to the fair this year. All the sugar would have me bouncing off the funhouse walls!

If you get a chance to go enjoy the State Fair this year, try something weird for me. I’ll be at home trying out some much less interesting food combinations.

 

Holly Taylor is a Staff Writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or by phone at 252-332-7206.