Walking through the food area of every state fair is an adventure — the smell of fryer oils and sugar quickly bombards the senses, even if it’s sometimes unclear what’s underneath that mysterious dough.
State fairs first began in the 19th century as a way for farmers to show off their agriculture and livestock, but quickly evolved into the epitome of a summer event filled with rides, contests, and most importantly, food.
Although you’ll find American classics like burgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes, and fried Oreos, many state fairs also elevate the food into the most repulsive or bizarre dishes imaginable, state delicacies that make their annual summer appearance. Here’s a look at some of the craziest and most memorable state fair foods from across the U.S.
Dallas, Texas – deep-fried beer
Not just is everything bigger in Texas, but everything is also fried. These little ravioli-shaped pillows are pieces of dough that have been filled with beer and then deep-fried and are enormously popular at the Texas State Fair. They have even won numerous culinary awards.
Indiana – hot beef sundae
There’s nothing that can cool the Indianapolis fairgoers quite like a sundae…only this one is made with beef. As a solution to what the Indiana Beef Cattle Association deemed a “boring” rib-eye steak sandwich, inspired dreamers created the hot beef sundae. Made to look like ice cream, this meal features a pile of mashed potatoes topped with marinated beef and covered with “sprinkles” (corn and cheese) and completed with a cherry (tomato) on top.
Syracuse, NY – butter sculpture
Butter sculptures are popular at multiple state fairs — think of the classic Butter Cow in Iowa. But one of oldest locations for them is Syracuse, New York. Although this food isn’t something fairgoers eat, they have flocked every year since 1969 to see artists work around the clock to turn more than 800 pounds of butter into a sculpture.
Last year’s work of dairy art depicted a family having a picnic by the river on one side and a dairy farmer planting a tree on the other side. It was titled “Dairy: Good for you. Good for the planet.”
Kansas – pickle pop
If ice cream isn’t what you need to cool off, then maybe a popsicle will be. The Kansas State Fair has attempted to create a sour and sweet treat to be paired alongside some famous Kansas City-style barbecue. As the name suggests, these frozen treats are made with fresh pickle brine.
Minnesota – deep-fried ranch dressing
For those looking for a tamer option than Texas’s deep-fried beer, the Minnesota State Fair has somehow managed to turn the Midwest’s favorite condiment into little fried nuggets. Lulu’s Public House is the creator of this fair food, which features a filling ranch seasoning with cream cheese and buttermilk to make a more solid and fryable filling. They then coat the cream cheese filling with a panko shell, deep-fry each triangle-shaped fritter, and dust it with ranch powder. Each order is served with hot honey sauce for dipping.
Florida – baked ziti on a stick
The motto of fair food is usually if it’s not fried, it’s on a stick and the Florida State Fair delivered with a menu item that almost sounds scientifically impossible. Baked ziti on a stick is made with all of the usual fixins’ including rigatoni noodles, homemade marinara sauce, and shredded mozzarella cheese on top for an ooey gooey combo.
Arizona – chocolate-covered bugs
Anyone with a fear of things that crawl might want to be careful when walking the grounds of the Arizona State Fair, where they sell various bugs that are covered in chocolate.
According to the Phoenix Sun, visitors could pay as little as $2 for a single mealworm or cricket, ostensibly made palatable by a sugary, chocolate coating. For the braver (or possibly more foolish) among us, there are also deep-fried scorpions. Similar creepy-crawly delicacies have been known to feature in other West Coast state fairs, including California.