Checklist: The new foodstuff at the 2023 North Carolina Condition Honest

When it comes to fair food, if you can dream it, you can eat it.

This year’s dreams include dill pickle doughnuts, french fry parfaits and a sandwich wrapped in bacon.

The great smorgasbord that is the North Carolina State Fair returns Oct. 12-22, bringing with it 48 new foods.

The 2023 fair food class is marked by sweet and savory mashups, innovative eggrolls and at least a half dozen new foods served on a stick.

Here are the 17 new foods that embody everything beautiful about humming deep fryers, clouds of powdered sugar and all the decadent wonder of the NC State fair.

See the full list at ncstatefair.org/2023/Attractions/New.htm

Big Mac Eggroll — Woody’s Sports Tavern & Grill

There’s an entire genre of fair food dedicated to the eggroll. This newest one aims for the flavors of McDonald’s most famous burger, stuffed with ground beef, onions, pickles and a special sauce. No sesame seed bun to be found.

Deep Fried Gimbap (Korean Sushi Roll) — Bulkogi Korean BBQ

Here the Korean dish gimbap gets the fair treatment. Korean barbecue is rolled in rice, wrapped in seaweed and then deep fried and put on a stick.

“Politician” Fries — Chesters Gators & Taters

This plate of cheese fries leans into the political fray, with the cheese mixed with fried bologna.

Ostrich Smashburger — Chick-N-Que

This burger is two griddled patties of North Carolina-raised ostrich, topped with grilled onions, cheese and a special sauce on a rich brioche bun.

Candied Grapes — Douglas Farms

Branching out beyond candy apples, this year you’ll find grapes coated with the same hard shell candy, with flavors like cherry, blue raspberry and, of course, grape.

Efo Riro & Fufu — Ethio Indi Alkaline & Vegan Cuisine

Expanding on the fair’s international and vegan offerings, you’ll find the African spinach soup efo riro served with pounded yams or fufu.

Bacon-wrapped pimento cheese sandwich — Ezzells Somethin’ Good

Many wonderful things are wrapped in bacon. Here it’s a pimento cheese sandwich wearing its bacon on the outside, with sweet, spicy and melty jalapeno pimento cheese inside.

Brisket & Waffles on a stick — Fat Boys BBQ

Smoked beef brisket is shredded and dipped in waffle batter before a bath in the deep fryer.

Dill Pickle Donut — Fluffy’s Hand-Cut Donuts

This new doughnut takes the sweet and savory and adds a pucker. Here, yeast doughnuts are frosted with a whipped dill pickle cream cheese and crowned with dill pickle chips.

Morning-After Turkey Leg — Hickory Tree Turkey BBQ

It could be breakfast for dinner or the ultimate hangover remedy. A giant smoked turkey leg is stuffed with cheese and scrambled eggs, tater tots with lime crema and topped either with fruit jam or turkey gravy.

“Crazy Italian” Savory Funnel Cake — Iron Kitchen Holdings

Savory funnel cakes are a growing fair food trend. This one starts with a batter mixed with Italian seasoning, which is topped with marinara sauce, cheese and either pepperoni or a meatball.

Chicharron on a stick — Las Gringas food truck

You don’t really need a stick to eat crunchy, salty pork skin, but it’s probably nice to have.

The Slop Bucket — Lawrence & Perry BBQ

As the name implies, this is a lot. The bucket is actually a parfait of crinkle cut cheese fries, topped with vinegary chopped barbecue, mac and cheese, coleslaw and baked beans.

Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese Danish — La Farm Bakery

From one of the Triangle’s top bakeries, flaky danishes stuffed with pulled pork and mac and cheese.

Andouille Sausage Corn Dog — Ragin’ Cajun

The spicy New Orleans smoked sausage upgrades the corndog.

Street Corn Pizza — Rudy’s Pizza

If you haven’t noticed, corn on pizza is having a moment and now that moment has made it to the fair. This pizza has a mayo-based sauce, topped with cheese, roasted corn, chili seasoning and cilantro leaves.

Fried caramel apple Cow Tail — Pioneer Wagon

Simple yet brilliant: A sticky, chewy Cow Tail is dipped in cornbread mix, deep fried and topped with powdered sugar and caramel sauce.

This tale was at first printed Oct 4, 2023, 9:30 AM.