Best fried Fair foods of 2009

State and county fairs are known for being a haven of unhealthy but tasty foods. I don’t know fo sure how the tradition got started, but local vendors were definitely quick to pick up on the fact that fair-goers were looking to indulge while they were out. Fair food moved from corndogs and funnel cake, to deep fried Twinkies and deep fried Snickers bars. And the trend presses on. Now fair vendors set out to outdo each other with the craziest deep fried foods you can imagine. Deep fried cookie dough seemed “out there” when it hit the fair scene, this year Deep Fried Butter (above) debuting at the Texas State Fair, takes home the “most creative” title. The butter is flavored with things like garlic or strawberries, dipped in batter and fried. “It’s like a mix between a biscuit or a croissant that is just stuffed to the gills with butter on the inside,” says the creator.

The “best tasting” award at the Texas State Fair goes to Fried Peaches and Cream and other offerings include deep-fried pizza, deep fried chili and deep-fried grilled cheese sandwiches. Speaking of cheese, Deep Friend Macaroni and Cheese a big hit in Wisconsin. The fair version is very similar to that served in many upscale restaurants, except that it’s served on a stick to make eating easier. The Minnesota State Fair offers bacon on a stick (although I’m not entirely sure it’s deep fried, as opposed to fried in a skillet) and spaghetti and meatballs on a stick.