Erica and Matt Chua: Food on a Stick

I haven’t confirmed this with my parents, but I am quite sure that this is the first year I will not be attending the Great Minnesota Get Together since I was born 29 years ago.  The Minnesota State Fair is my favorite “holiday” and a Minnesota tradition I can really get behind.  Lutefisk being the only other Minnesota tradition that I [unwillingly] participate in each year, but who can get behind lutefisk as a tradition for anyone but their worst enemies?

It’s hard to pick the best part of the Minnesota State Fair.  Is it the abundance of twangy country acts performing for free at the Leinie’s Lodge?  The grandstand shows featuring bands that were popular decades ago, but you can still sing-a-long to?  The people watching?  The toothless carnies in the Midway or the plethora of food on a stick?

While the people watching is second to none, leading you to stare uncomfortably at entire families of people so rotund they couldn’t find a shirt to cover their belly and are eating chocolate dipped bacon on a stick.  Going to the State Fair can really be an esteem booster as you leave wondering when the last time many of your fellow fair goers saw their feet.  But, the people watching wouldn’t be half as entertaining without an artery-clogging treat on a stick to eat while you cattily observe.

It is especially fun to see what those crazy fair organizers will come up with each year to out-do deep-fried Snickers Bars.  Some of my favorites include; pork chop on a stick, I’m convinced it tastes better just because it’s on a stick, mini donuts and the best Fair treat there is a buttery piece of sweet corn on the cob.  None of the food on a stick I have encountered in Asia has been as tasty as Fair food, but it’s been much more bizarre.

Below are the top five foods on a stick I’ve had in Asia:

1. Ecto-Cooler Slime Dough Balls

These were actually looking like a good snack option as they were being made fresh at the night market in Luoyang, China.  However, after we ordered them we were getting ready to pay when the sauce extravaganza started.  First was a squirt of what looked like hot sauce, then a “healthy” helping of mayonnaise, which didn’t see too bad until she squeezed on the neon-green ecto-cooler slime and sprinkled pork floss on top.  We ate them anyway as we had paid a whole 40 cents for them and I can’t tell you if they were good or bad because there were so many strange flavors happening at once it seemed like something only Willy Wonka could have dreamed up.

2. Ancient Ice Cream

This is genius, right up there with dippin’ dots only far less creative.  From what we can tell this “Ancient Ice Cream” is no different than any other ice cream except in it’s cement block shape and high price.  But someone is making money because we fell for it.

3. Deep fried gyoza roll

This was probably one of the best offerings on a stick I have had, simply because it wasn’t weird.  It was as far as I can tell gyoza (pot stickers), but deep-fried like an egg roll- pretty tasty.

4. Bugs on a stick

I wouldn’t necessarily advocate these to be the next big Fair food on a stick, but insects certainly draw a crowd.  Everyone lines up to try them and have a picture taken to prove that yes they did eat a scorpion or other bug du jour.  I have had deep fried tarantula and tree ants and I can say they both were pretty good, cheap protein.

5. Jell-O on a stick

It seems impossible to get Jell-O to hold it’s shape on a stick, but these sweets  texture and taste was exactly like Jell-O to me.  They were little delicious treats available for about 25 cents a pop, not bad.