State Fair Part 1: Food

Just some of the culinary delights on offer at the State Fair

 As a child one of the highlights of the year was going to the Tamworth Show (fair). Although the format of the show was similar each year it was exciting to see what was on offer. Part of the fun was seeing the demolition derbies, fireworks, crazy cars and clowns that entertained the crowds near the main grandstand. There were also the animals and seeing all of the different breeds of each animal and trying to guess which one got first place before seeing the ribbons. The midway was another exciting part of visiting the Show as it was the only time of the year many of us got to ride something more exciting than the swings or slide at the local park. However, one thing that was lacking at the Tamworth Show was the range of food choices that you can get at many American fairs. The most exotic food option at the Show was a corn dog.

Just some of the fried foods on sale at the state fair.

     I had not been to a state fair since moving to America and that was a little sad as I enjoyed it so much as a child. I bought tickets and convinced my wife and in-laws to come with me to the fair last year. We all had a blast and returned to the fair again this year. The fair is everything I remembered as a child with one notable exception: the menus at the food stalls.

  When it comes to food options the state fairs in America have dozens of choices. With every step it seems you will come across a new smell and another sign advertising new items for fair-goers to try. The signs are often big, bright and eye catching to draw customers in. For those who want something a little more standard there are plenty of hot dogs, burgers, fries, corn dogs, turkey legs and many more options on offer so there is something to suit all tastes. For those wanting something different there are plenty of deep fried foods to try. At one vendor they offered about a dozen different deep fried options including peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Oreos,  Reese's peanut cups, snickers bars, pecan pie, Kool aid and macaroni and cheese. This was in addition to deep fried bloomin onions, ribbon fries and funnel cakes. I am sure they are all delicious but had I tried them all I would likely have gained 10 pounds and clogged many of my arteries. However, the fair only comes once a year and a few treats never hurt anyone.

Enjoying a deep fried Pecan Pie

Amanda's favorite deep fried treat is the fried Oreos. They place the cookies into a batter and then place them in a deep fryer and a few minutes later you have a delicous treat. The cookies are warm, soft and taste great as they have a mix of the chocolate from the cookie and the fried batter. I decided to try something different this year - the fried pecan pie. I am a huge fan of pecan pie and thought this would be worth a try. I was not dissapointed with my decision as the mixture of the batter along with the sweet taste of the pecan pie made a delicious treat. I ended up getting powdered sugar all over myself and probably consumed more calories than any person should in a day but it was worth it! Besides it's only once a year so it's not too bad. Next year I will try something different and see if it is as good as the pecan pie but fried foods be warned, the pecan pie was awesome and will be hard to beat!