Bring Your Fave State Fair Foods Home

Because food on a stick is just awesome! If we had our own state fair, we'd serve up Crescent Dogs on a stick. Check out these signature foods from state fairs across the county.

1. Minnesota – Walleye on a Stick
   At last count, the Minnesota State Fair boasted some 80 foods on a stick. Among the wild and wacky, walleye on a stick is a classic. The state fish is filleted by hand then breaded – not battered – so the crust stays to the fish when it’s fried.
   
   
2. Texas – Corn Dogs
   The granddaddy of fair food, the original corn dog was introduced in 1942 when brothers Neil and Carl Fletcher dipped a hot dog in corn batter and fried it. Today, 500,000 or so are sold each year in Texas.
   
   
3. New Jersey – Deep-Fried Candy Bar on a Stick
   Although it’s sold at many state fairs, the deep-fried candy bar was invented in New Jersey – Hackettstown to be exact. The all-American candy bar is battered, fried and dusted with powdered sugar.
   
   
4. Iowa – Pork Chop on a Stick
   Since 1990, the country’s number one pork-producing state has been turning out – you guessed it – pork chop on a stick: 60,000 a year! The chops are specially cut so that the bone can serve as the “stick,” then baked in large batches to keep up with demand.
   
   
5. North Carolina – Alligator on a Stick
   There’s plenty of pride for fried food at this southern fair – and a blog, “Deep Fried @ The N.C. State Fair,” to prove it. The most exotic of the bunch is alligator tail, a chewy cross between chicken and pork.
   
   
6. Kansas State Fair – Pickle Pop
   Kansas might be famous for its barbecue, but it’s the frozen pickle juice that state-fair goers go crazy for. They might be on to something: The juice is packed with electrolytes, which prevents dehydration.
   
   
7. Kentucky – Pork Butt on a Stick
   In Kentucky, pork butt is no joke. This regional favorite is grilled in big, meaty slabs and skewered with a stick. Coincidentally, the exposition center where the fair is held is also home to the world’s largest purebred livestock show.
   
   
8. Wisconsin – Cheese on a Stick
   In Cheesehead country, there are plenty of variations of cheese-on-a-stick. There’s cheesecake, cheesesteak, chili cheese dogs, macaroni and cheese, not to mention blocks of American, Swiss or cheddar cheese dipped in cornbread batter and fried.
   
   
9. Louisiana – Cajun Shrimp on a Stick
   The folks in Louisiana have been making Cajun shrimp the same way for almost 30 years. Wet- then dry-battered, seasoned but not spicy, fried and ready-to-eat right off the stick.
   
   
10. California – Chocolate-Covered Garlic on a Stick
    Gilroy, Calif., the garlic capital of the world, is home to an unlikely combo at the state’s fair: Garlic-flecked truffles. If you can’t get enough of garlic, you can find even more food loaded with garlic at the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.