To commemorate the opening of the 2018 North Carolina State Fair, At Least We Fried is taking a look at some of the tastiest new fried dishes the Fair will offer this year. These delicacies are featured at stands and food trucks throughout the fair. Will you be try them all?
The North Carolina Fair
Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, the North Carolina State Fair has been entertaining families each fall since 1853. Organized by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the fair is an 11-day celebration of all things North Carolina. Looking for lumberjack competitions? They have one. Alligator wrestling? Check. Poultry and livestock competitions? You know it. But there’s only one thing about the North Carolina State Fair that’s going to get our toes tapping: the deep fried goodies. Read on below to discover the five brand new deep-fried offerings we’re most excited about. If you’re headed to the event, you can download a printable food map here.
Our Top 5 Favorite New Deep-Fried Dishes at the North Carolina State Fair
5. Country Ham and Cheddar Hush-puppies
One of the iconic food booths at the state fair is Ragin’ Cajun. Operated by former NC State football player Chris Wrenn, the Ragin’ Cajun booth has been operating at the State Fair since 2009. While they’re known for traditional Cajun cuisine like crawfish and frog legs, Ragin’ Cajun is celebrated for their deep fryer skills. Their first entry on our list is the Country Ham and Cheddar Hushpuppies. This re-imagined hushpuppy has traditional batter mixed in with country ham and cheddar cheese. The finishing touch is a whipped molasses butter. Yum!
4. Deep Fried Meatballs
State Fair Foods is dipping their toes back into the deep-fried waters with their new creation: deep fried meatballs. These things look killer. They start with fully cooked meatballs on a stick. The meatballs are then battered, fried, and covered with parmesan cheese and a marinara sauce. It’s like the old country, but on a stick.
3. Chocolate Chip Hush-puppies
I hope you like hush-puppies, because there are tons of new hush-puppy creations on the menu at this year’s North Carolina State Fair. The Ragin’ Cajun food booth is the mastermind behind these bad boys. No feeling up for a savory hush-puppy today? That’s OK! This year marks the debut of the Chocolate Chip Hush-puppy. The hush-puppies are made from a sweet batter that has chocolate mixed in. The batter is fried into balls and served with Southern chocolate gravy. The whole dish is sprinkled with powdered sugar to finish things off.
2. Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Grits Egg Roll
The absolute madmen at Woody’s Sports Tavern and Grill are coming in hot with a very creative dish: Shrimp and Cheddar Cheese Greets in an Egg roll! The dish starts with shrimp farm-raised in North Carolina. The egg rolls contain shrimp rolled with cheese grits and Tasso ham into an egg roll wrapper. The egg rolls are then fried and topped with a red pepper remoulade sauce.
1. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Apple Cobbler Bites
Well, here we are. The item we’re most excited for at the 2018 North Carolina State Fair is Cinnamon toast Crunch Apple Cobbler Bites. Offered by Chef’s D’Lites, this may be the most decadent desert at the entire fair. The dish starts with Granny Smith apples sliced and dipped in a one-of-a-kind Cinnamon Toast Crunch batter. The apple slices are deep fried, then drizzled with caramel, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. This one really takes the cake, I mean, cobber.
At Least We Fried
Excited for the 2018 North Carolina State Fair? Be sure to let us know in the comments what you’ve tried. And don’t forget to check back here as At Least We Fried is your home for everything related to America’s best fair food.
