Schneid Remarks 7/27/23

As I do every year, I try to critique the new foods which will be served at the Minnesota State Fair, which is less than one month away.

Two weeks ago the fair announced the 34 official new foods and seven new food vendors for the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

I haven’t been to the State Fair for quite a few years but I know hundreds of people who go every year so hopefully I can either direct and divert them from some of these new offerings. Many of them, in my culinary mind, look awful. Some look interesting. Others look tasty. Here is my quick review of some of the items.

I guess I will start with the items I don’t think will be very good. Just remember, this is only my thoughts from pictures and descriptions I have received. I can say this - it looks as if pickles are one of the biggest additions in many of these new items.

Not a big fan of hummus. There are two places which list this as their key ingredient. I remember years ago when I was tricked into a deep fried camel ball. Yuk.

Crispy Lutefisk Steam Bun - Steamed lotus bun filled with cabbage, carrots, cilantro, yum yum sauce, and lutefisk brined in salt water for 12 hours. Not for me.

Kind of a Big Dill Pickle Lemonade - Lemonade mixed with tangy dill pickling spices, craft brewed by Urban Growler, garnished with a crunchy slice of pickle. Does not sound like a great mix. Please tell me if you think it is.

Miami Mango Pickles - Dill pickles infused with Miami mango punch. NO, NO, and NO!

Some of the interesting items I found were:

Cheese Curd Stuffed Pizza Pretzel - Any type of jumbo pizza dough pretzel stuffed with cheese curds has to get you excited.

Galabao - Traditional Hmong-style steamed bun with ground pork, egg, spices served with chili oil, hot pepper sauce, or lemongrass scallion dressing. Might be good?

Loaded Lobster Fries - Lobster in garlic and herb butter, served on a bed of french fries sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning, topped with bacon, chipotle mayonnaise, and green onion. Lobster, Old Bay, and fries a big yes - green onion a big no for me. I can probably pick them off.

Sota-cuterie Board - Collection of Minnesota-made meats, cheeses, pickles, and other charcuterie board favorites served on an edible herb-crusted cracker board. This might be No. 1 on my to-try list.

If you happen to attend the State Fair and try any of these - please let me know what you think.