Texas: Big State, Big Fair, Big Food
Big Tex at Texas State Fair (Photo: PureRadiancePhoto/Shutterstock)
When it comes to fair food, Texas doesn’t mess around. After taking 2020 off due to COVID-19 precautions, the Texas State Fair is back in business. It runs from September 24th through October 17th in Dallas. That gives you some time to fast before sampling this year’s deep-fried and otherwise decadent menu.
According to the Dallas Morning News, there are ten food finalists for the Big Tex Choice Award. Five are savory and five are sweet. Isaac Rousso, creator of the ominously named ‘Deep Fried Halloween,’ says, “We don’t talk about dentists, sugar, or calories at the State Fair.” No kidding. Here are the finalists:
The Savory
- Crispy Crazy Corn – Fried corn kernels topped with pork and pineapple slaw
- Deep Fried I-35 – Fried kolache dough topped with smoked brisket and drizzled with peach juice combined with Dr Pepper
- Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls – Fried bites with shrimp, sausage and crab rolled in saltine cracker and breadcrumb batter then topped with chicken-fried okra spears.
- Lucky Duck Dumplin’ – A pastry filled with duck bacon, cream cheese and roasted corn
- Pork Shots – Texas smoked sausage wrapped in bacon and filled with mac and cheese
The Sweet
- The Armadillo – A massive big cookie butter ice cream sandwich in the shape of an armadillo, of course
- Brisket Brittle – Traditional dessert brittle with Texas brisket replacing the peanuts
- Deep Fried Halloween – A large pretzel that’s covered in candy corn syrup and topped with sprinkles, candy corn, chocolate and marshmallow icing
- Fernie’s Fried Toffee Crunch Cake – A cake doughnut dipped in panko and vanilla cookie crumbs then fried
- Texas Pumpkin Poke Cake – A Texas-shaped pumpkin cake with caramel and vanilla glaze
Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.
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