10 Weirdest Fried Food You Can Find At Regional Fairs

We don’t know how or why, but most foods just taste better once they’re dipped in batter and tossed in a deep-fryer. Whether discussing deep-fried oreos, Twinkies, or Snickers bars, these regional delicacies are guaranteed to make your taste buds come alive with their rich flavor and delightful consistencies.

A favorite item of regional fairs across the nation, certain fried foods’ availability tends to vary based on the specific state you’re in. Yet even then, some fairs feature fried foods you couldn’t ever have imagined eating, including deep-fried reptiles, poisonous insects, and entire NYC-style pizza dishes.

Deep-Fried Alligator on a Stick

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Unsurprisingly, many fairs in the Southern U.S. feature deep-fried alligator on their local menus. We know it’s probably a cliche thing to say, but this deep-fried reptile meat does bear some strong similarities to chicken, both in terms of its tender consistency and distinctly milder taste.

Deep-Fried Scorpion

Though insects remain a common food item in some areas of the world, Arizona is one of the few states in the U.S. to serve them at fairs. Deep-fried until golden brown and served on a stick, most people claim the resulting taste is fairly reminiscent of fried shellfish (especially shrimp).

Deep-Fried Jelly Beans

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Reportedly, Ronald Reagan’s favorite food was the thimble-sized sweets known to Americans as jelly beans. With that in mind, we can’t help but wonder what the former president might have thought about Massachussett’s deep-fried versions of those same sugary snacks. Wrapping jelly beans in batter and topping it with a dusting of powdered sugar, it’s a unique treat only residents of the Bay State could have thought up.

Deep-Fried Pastrami Pizza

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California has never balked at a chance of throwing unconventional toppings on pizza. Case in point with Alameda County’s deep-fried pastrami pizza dish. Combining two of NYC’s fan-favorite specialty dishes (slow-cooked pastrami and pizza), this cheesy, salty, bready mix will have you licking your lips for the remainder of the day.

Deep-Fried Gummy Bear

Oh, Ohio, you beautiful geniuses. Rivaling Texas in terms of their inventive culinary creations, the Buckeye State’s deep-fried giant gummy bears are a literal thing of beauty. As fun to look at as they are to eat, each bite of this oozing monstrosity is pure sugar-covered bliss.

Deep-Fried Bubblegum

Don’t let the name fool you – deep-fried bubblegum doesn’t actually involve frying a piece of gum and encouraging people to eat it. Rather, this Texas sensation sees chefs deep-frying marshmallows around a bubblegum-flavored batter, allowing for a gummy snack unlike any other.

Breakfast on a Stick

What’s better than a corndog for lunch? How about breakfast on a stick? Dipping breakfast sausage in pancake batter and then deep-frying the whole mess, this fascinating combination is guaranteed to leave you stuffed till dinner time.

Deep-Fried Spaghetti and Meatballs

We hate to admit it, but the deep-fried spaghetti and meatballs found at the Texas State Fair is enough to bring a grown adult to tears. Like deep-fried macaroni and cheese, it’s a crunchy, cheesy, meat-filled concoction with a crispy exterior and a gooey interior.

Deep-Fried Beer

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Yes, yes, we know what you’re thinking – how on Earth could beer be deep-fried? But if innovative chefs can figure out a way to deep-fry ice cream, you’d better believe they could figure out how to deep-fry beer. Trapping fresh beer inside a pretzel dough batter, this Texas treat is as puzzling as it is surprisingly delicious.

Deep-Fried Butter

Quite possibly the most unhealthy dish served in the U.S., deep-fried butter is exactly what it sounds like: a stick of frozen butter soaked in batter and fried until it’s crispy. A favorite item at the Iowa State Fair, we’d readily recommend speaking with your cardiologist before taking a bite of this Midwestern treat.

Author: Richard Chachowski

Title: Author

Expertise: Travel, Entertainment, Food

Richard Chachowski is an entertainment, travel, and lifestyle writer who has written for such publications as Fangoria, Wealth of Geeks, Looper, Explore, MSN, Screen Rant, Sportskeeda, and MDLinx, among many others. He received his BA from The College of New Jersey and has been a professional writer since 2020.

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