# Horrifying fairground food **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 11, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919 "2018-06-11T22:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/1 "2018-06-11T22:23:58Z")
From Canada, and I thought the US had a near-monopoly on this sort of thing. [https://www.calgarystampede.com/stampede/attractions/food](https://www.calgarystampede.com/stampede/attractions/food) I did a search to confirm this actually is the official Calgary Stampede site; the juxtaposition of “prairie oyster balls” with donut ice cream sandwiches had me thinking (hoping?) it was a spoof site. But it is evidently real. Which means someone actually did see a bowl of pho and think “Can we get that in a burrito?” Someone actually thought a deep-fat-fried Reese’s peanut butter cup wasn’t enough of a grease bomb, and decided to wrap bacon around it. Someone thought a bacon cheeseburger isn’t cheesy enough, and needs a cheese dipping sauce. Possibly all these someones were egged on by the kangaroo and cricket vendors, to make their products look sane by comparison. Certainly I would eat the kangaroo burger long before I’d eat the red velvet corn dog. What would you eat? (The raspberry watermelon salad might actually be brilliant.) What might you eat on a bet, or if you had several friends to share the burden? (The one-pound meatball, if I had at least 3 other people to split it.) What would you NOT eat on a bet? (Oh, the many contenders…) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/2 "2018-06-11T22:42:49Z")
A celebration of [Carnival Eats](https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/shows/carnival-eats). (Cooking Channel) ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/3 "2018-06-11T22:45:12Z")
WOW. I’d try pretty much all of those. Compared to the fare offered at our major fairs (soggy chips, cold hot dogs, fairy floss) it looks just amazing. Especially the Vietnamese coffee icy-pole. I’m gonna make me one of those later today. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/4 "2018-06-11T22:46:07Z")
A red velvet battered hot dog? A cornbread battered banana? Somebody is corn-fused. I would eat a red velvet battered deep fried banana. Okay, I also liked their gluten-free offering; it made me laugh until I almost fell off my chair > [@](#): > > A corn-based wrap, stuffed with a heaping pile of spicy barbecued chicken chorizo sausage, grilled queso-duro cheese, avocado and tomato salsa and a tangy garlic mayonnaise sauce. Bonus: this menu item is gluten-free! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/5 "2018-06-11T22:59:49Z")
And I thought United Statesian fair food was disgusting! ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/6 "2018-06-11T23:11:07Z")
I have a vague recollection of reading a news article about the winner of a state fair cookoff years ago. (probably Tx) The dude had won with his new invention…deep fried snickers bar. The next year it was deep fried beer or something equally as strange and improbable sounding. My point is, the article left me with the impression that super wacky was encouraged by the sanctioning body of the competition. So strange food isn’t just happening, it’s kinda been commissioned. On the topic of what would I eat…I’m not too adventurous. 🆒 If you deep fry something I like, I’d probably eat it, but you wont find me eating squid bacon or donkey intestines stuffed with whale tongue.:eek::D:D ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/7 "2018-06-11T23:13:24Z")
Some items looked pretty good but were so greasy that got gassy just reading them. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/8 "2018-06-11T23:24:24Z")
What’s with all the crickets? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/9 "2018-06-11T23:47:39Z")
If I was paying for it I’d skip the cookie dough ice cream sandwich and Unicorn tea. I’ve tried and don’t particularly care for bubble tea or cookie dough ice cream. There’s some others that I wouldn’t be tempted to try unless they were really cheap like the activated carbon ice cream and Prairie Oyster Balls. If it was free and I was hungry there’s not a thing there I wouldn’t at least try. I’ve eaten worse. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/10 "2018-06-11T23:50:08Z")
The only one I’d go for was the soft pretzel. The watermelon didn’t sound bad, but I’d rather just have that, I don’t need it filled with watermelon ice cream when I could have the real deal. Some sounded outright disgusting, and others like, I think there was a fried pineapple, might’ve appealed to me about 30 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/11 "2018-06-11T23:57:42Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > What’s with all the crickets? 😕 I suspect the crickets, and the kangaroo meat items, are promotional stunts: Check out this excellent new food! We’ve made it tasty for you! The one time I attended the Pennsylvania Farm Show the mushroom growers were doing a similar thing, making a big introduction of The Blend, a mix of ground beef and minced mushroom (70/30 if memory serves), by serving The Blend burgers at their food court booth alongside their usual grilled portabella sandwiches and such. I haven’t heard about The Blend since, but the burger wasn’t at all bad. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/12 "2018-06-12T00:09:34Z")
Hurk. I like my testicles without sugar, thank you. And that black ice cream is ruined with disgusting coconut flavor. And their “giant” squid is merely large, I wanted one that needs a crane to eat. And they cheap out on crickets, when clearly grasshoppers are the superior bug protein! Kangaroo is delicious. Watch where you point that finger. A lot of classic fair food can be [blamed on Scotland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_bar). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/13 "2018-06-12T00:26:17Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Watch where you point that finger. A lot of classic fair food can be [blamed on Scotland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep-fried_Mars_bar). [Sometimes they can even be found in fish & chip shops on this side of the pond.](http://www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com/food.html) Never tried one, though. Diabetic. ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/14 "2018-06-12T00:36:06Z")
Bacon onion bombs and deep fried pineapple rings sounds good. I would definitely want the watermelon ice cream and lavender lemonade. No bugs or animal organs. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/15 "2018-06-12T00:47:02Z")
Skip the crickets and the testicles. I would _try_ the rest. How many I would _pay_ to try is a much better question. The pickle tornado for sure. Maybe the squid if it wasn’t that expensive. Beyond that, I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/16 "2018-06-12T00:50:52Z")
I think I gained about 3 lbs. just looking at those pictures… There are a few I would try (the mac-n-cheese campfire pie and deep-fried burger), but my cholesterol level would be about 400 afterwards. I suspect the Texas State Fair will be saying “Hold my beer.” Here’s what they had last year: [Big Tex Choice Awards | State Fair of Texas](https://bigtex.com/plan-your-visit/food/big-tex-choice-awards/) ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/17 "2018-06-12T02:33:18Z")
There must be lots of marijuana in Calgary. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/18 "2018-06-12T02:43:41Z")
The sweet stuff almost all sounded pretty gross, except for the lavender lemonade and the wat-a-melon. I’d be willing to try a bite, at least, of all the savory items. Some of them sounded quite good. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/19 "2018-06-12T03:16:38Z")
> [@Periwinkle](#): > > Bacon onion bombs and deep fried pineapple rings sounds good. I would definitely want the watermelon ice cream and lavender lemonade. No bugs or animal organs. I want try all of these and the deep fried banana peppers. I’m thirsty right now so that lavender lemonade sounds really good. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919/20 "2018-06-12T03:19:52Z")
I couldn’t eat those sweet balls. I need SALTY balls! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/horrifying-fairground-food/815919.md?page=2)