Review and video: The frieds we tried at the 2011 State Fair of Texas

by Sarah Blaskovich , Mike Bullock

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Avoid the Fried Bubblegum. Don't pass up the Fried Autumn Pie.

FAIR PARK — The State Fair of Texas has turned up the heat, and the fryers, with a whole new crop of fried food finalists. What could beat Fried Butter and Fried Beer, the talked-about dishes in years' past? We went to the fair on opening day to try all eight fried foods in a two-hour friednomenon.

This year's big talker was Fried Bubblegum, a confusing confection that isn't a piece of cooked chicle but in fact three pink, gum-flavored marshmallows. Despite its designation of “most creative” at this year's fried food awards, it was the worst tasting. The initial flavor is one of fluffy bubblegum, but it quickly segues into a Pepto Bismol-like aftertaste that was so off-putting that we had to glug a bottle of water just to wash the taste out. Given the curiosity surrounding Fried Bubblegum, we anticipate it will still sell well, but we'd be surprised to see repeat customers.

We'd recommend the Deep Fried Texas Salsa. The salsa is covered in masa and tortilla chips and fried, making for a crunchy, salty bite that ended with cool tomato. Though the salsa itself wasn't remarkable and could have been spicier, the whole package really worked. It comes with a side of queso, and who doesn't like that?

The designation of “best taste” went to Buffalo Chicken in a Flapjack, and it was certainly near the top of our list. It's a buffalo chicken strip essentially wrapped in pancake batter, fried, and served with maple syrup. This is the fair's version of chicken and waffles on a stick, and it was really tasty.

El Bananarito, a deep fried banana, was one of several forgettable fried desserts. The dough was slightly undercooked, and once we could get a fork through it, a very mushy, warm banana was inside. The lack of texture made the dish feel slimy and look unappetizing.

The Deep Fried Pineapple Upside Down Cake was another dessert that was underwhelming, though it was better than El Bananarito. The dish is a pineapple ring dipped in batter and fried -- no departure from what you'd expect. The sweet custard on the inside helped save the dish by giving it a rich taste to compliment the pineapple. If you like pineapples, this is for you. If you don't, you won't like them any more after this dish.

Hans' Kraut Ball, which gets our vote for the fried food with the most unappetizing name, landed somewhere in the middle of the pack for its funky, overpowering mustard taste. Inside the fried ball was pork sausage, onion, sauerkraut, mustard, and a few other ingredients. If Oktoberfest could be embodied in one bite, Hans' Kraut Ball is it.

The only fried food finalist that isn't dipped in batter and fried while you wait is the Walking Taco. It's a Doritos pie served in the bag (the chips at the bottom), with ground beef and an option of lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. As the most expensive fried food finalist at 12 coupons ($6), the Walking Taco truly is enough food for a meal. The crunch of the Doritos are a nice addition to the other ingredients.

We saved the best for last: The Fried Autumn Pie was our favorite new fried food of 2011. With pumpkin, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and “fall spices,” the confection was a small fried disc that's actually probably the worst value for its size, at 10 coupons ($5). However, the cream cheese gave the filling a nice richness, and the cinnamon and sugar mixed with the pumpkin make this dish embody the fall season in five divine bites. We will definitely spend another $5 to get the Fried Autumn Pie again.

We came across several non-fried food finalists at the fair that we'd love to try but just didn't have the iron stomachs to test out on opening day. They are: chocolate dipped jalapeños, fried Kool-Aid balls, and fried Nutter Butter. What are your favorite frieds?

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