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Read about the tasty indulgences of county fairs.
![County fairs wouldn't be the same without their deep fried, food on a stick options. [©Jupiter Images, 2009]](/image/400x200/county_fairs.jpg)
County fairs are synonymous with food -- especially calorie-laden oddities. Much of it comes out of a deep fryer or ends up on a stick. Some people label the food at county fairs as "heart attacks on sticks." The dean of one American culinary institute described eating at county fairs as a personal "fear factor." Yet, county fairs wouldn't be the same without the food -- and what's a few extra calories occasionally? According to the New York Times, stands at county fairs compete for the most talked-about extreme food of the year, and people brag about eating it.
Stands at county fairs deep-fry just about everything. Some of the more unusual offerings at the Orange County Fair in California include deep-fried cupcakes, Twinkies, frog legs and White Castle burgers. The Los Angeles County Fair sells deep-fried avocados and peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches drizzled with honey. Some county fairs sell deep-fried grapes and olives.
Fair-goers can buy deep-fried Coca-Cola at county fairs in Kentucky. A man named Abel Gonzales, Jr. pioneered deep-fried Coca-Cola at a Texas fair. Other fairs have tried a new variant: deep-fried Pepsi. The soda is mixed with batter, deep-fried and covered with whipped cream.
The San Diego County Fair sells deep-fried macaroni-and-cheese balls. Charlie's Chicken on the Concourse, a stand at the fair, is renowned for its odd deep-fried offerings, according to DiscoverSD.com. Deep-fried Spam is among Charlie's deep-fried favorites. The deep-fried Twinkie is their best seller, though. After the Twinkie is deep-fried, it's covered in strawberry sauce and powdered sugar. County fairs around the country also sell deep-fried green beans and squid.
Stick cuisine, or food on a stick, is a county fair tradition. The New York Times reports that the tradition started in 1946 when a man named Ed Waldmire, Jr. created the first corn dog on a stick, which he called the Cozy Dog. Today, county fairs sell any type of food that they can get on a stick, from spaghetti and meatballs and sloppy Joes to pork chops and deep-fried chocolate chip cookies. County fairs in Minnesota sell walleye on a stick. Those in New Jersey sell bacon on a stick. And at the Los Angeles County Fair, people can buy cheesecake on a stick.
Pickles are another attraction at county fairs. According to Serious Eats, the Dutchess County Fair in New York serves pickles with horseradish. At the San Diego County Fair, individuals can buy a koolicle, which is a pickle marinated in strawberry Kool-aid.
In Texas, deep-fried pickles are called frickles. At Minnesota fairs, they sell frozen pickle juice sold in plastic sleeves, also known as pickle pops. And, of course, enormous dill pickles are a fair staple.
County fairs are also known to combine foods that do not seem to go well together. The Waseca County Fair in Minnesota sells brat-and-kraut strudel, which is a sausage and sauerkraut strudel. The Los Angeles County Fair sells Krispy Kreme chicken sandwiches -- meat surrounded by doughnuts in place of bread. Chocolate-covered bacon is sold at county fairs in Minnesota and Florida.
Not all county fair staples are weird. WKYT.com explains that county fairs wouldn't be county fairs without funnel cakes and truck pulls. Funnel cakes typically come with sugar or fruit and whip cream, Bavarian crème or chocolate. Elephant ears, pastries covered with toppings such as maple syrup and cinnamon, are another favorite, as are cotton candy and candy apples. Other county fair staples include mini-doughnuts, fresh lemonade and roasted corn.
Locally grown vegetables, such as potatoes, tomatoes and squash, are also sold at county fairs. Fairs that showcase 4-H and farming sell fresh milk. At the Niagara County Fair the fresh milk bar is accompanied by farm breakfasts and a pie kitchen.
Of course, hungry fairgoers are also on the hunt for meat. BBQ, Polish sausage and roasted chicken are common fair foods. Hamburgers and French fries also make the menu at most county fairs. However, South Carolina Dining points out that even some of the more "normal" fair foods end up in the extreme. For example, South Carolina fairs sell one-and-a-half-pound turkey legs.
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