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The Most Bizarre Foods Found at the Minnesota State Fair

Edible oddities worth seeking out at the fairgrounds.

There be weird food in here.
There be weird food in here.
Joy Summers

The Minnesota State Fair has a multitude of food vendors serving a wide variety of things, many fried, on-a-stick, and totally over-indulgent. You already know the Essential State Fair Eats as well as the best non-fried foods on offer, but for those wishing to channel their inner Andrew Zimmern (who, by the way, adores The Great Minnesota Get-Together), here is a list of the 10 most bizarre Minnesota State Fair foods, listed in alphabetical order. You can get your hands on these weirdoes until Labor Day.

Did we miss your favorite, look-forward-to-it-every-year bizarre food from the state fair? Let us know!

- by Devan Grimsrud

1

Alligator ribs at Bayou Bob's

Photo courtesy Bayou Bob's Facebook page

Photo courtesy Bayou Bob's Facebook page

Alligator meat is a rarity up here, so head to Bayou Bob’s for a taste of the sharp-toothed animal. Not only do they serve alligator ribs, you can get yours on-a-stick (of course), popcorn-style and even grilled. Tastes like chicken, or so they say.

2

BBQ Pickle Ice Cream – R&R Ice Cream

Have you ever blown out your birthday cake candles and wished for an ice cream that tastes like your favorite pulled pork sandwich? Didn’t think so, but R&R Ice Cream sure thinks that you have with their latest creation – new this year – of a vanilla ice cream infused with BBQ sauce and combined with diced pickles. No thanks. Seriously.

3

Deep-Fried Foot Long Hot Dogs at Gass Station

Everyone’s familiar with the joy of a good-ol’ foot long hot dog. Gass Station wants to double your joy by battering and deep-frying their foot-longs, bun and all. Is their name a forecast of your future after downing one of those bad boys? Maybe, just maybe.

4

Fire and Ice Kreme at Goertze's Dairy Kone

Many of us mild-palatted Midwesterners have embraced our spice-loving side when the label reads: Sriracha. But does that spicy, savory hot sauce belong on top of soft serve vanilla ice cream with corn chip crunch and a twirl of whipped cream? I’m not convinced.

5

Fried Fruit at Fried Fruit Stand

This state fair stand takes summer fruits, dips them in batter, and fries them to a crisp. Doesn’t sound appetizing, but hey, they say everything is better fried… right?

5

Kimchi n’ Curry Poutine - Midtown Global Market: The Rabbit Hole

Traditional poutine layers French fries, thick gravy, and cheese curds. The Rabbit Hole at Midtown Global Market’s stand takes a twist on the Canadian favorite using a bed of braised pork and fried potatoes smothered with curry gravy and cheddar cheese, then topped with kimchi and a poached egg.

6

Shrimp Dog – The Shrimp Shack

Shrimp is good. Baby shrimp, I’m not so sure about, but The Shrimp Shack has a creation that quite literally gave me chills and they call it a Shrimp Dog – baby shrimp combined with cream cheese, then battered and deep-fried.

7

Teriyaki Ostrich-on-a-Stick at Chinatown Minnesota

Let’s be honest, it’s not every day that you have the option of eating ostrich meat, let alone teriyaki-marinated and skewered.

8

Wine Fried Kalettes- Minnesota Wine Country

Minnesota Wine Country has flipped everyone’s favorite healthy, leafy green into an unrecognizable fried fiend. Battered kale pieces, crisped in wine, and served with sweet Thai chili sauce are named Wine Fried Kalettes, which sound much, much classier than they are.

*All photo courtesy Minnesota State Fair unless otherwise noted