Getting Fried at the State Fair of Texas

P.T. Barnum is thought to have claimed there's a "sucker born every minute," but friends and acquaintances aren't so sure. What he might have said is, "There's a customer born every minute," and no matter how he said it, I am the living proof of it either way.

At the annual Greek Food Festival Saturday night, the talk was all about the "fried butter" at the State Fair of Texas. Apparently the fact that someone would think to take a ball of butter, coat it and deep fry it - and sell it - has made national news. Those who haven't tried it have rained scorn upon it - and those who have tried it are OK with it, was the word I got. And so I spent the day at the State Fair, tasting not only the fried butter but also the chicken-fried bacon, fried peaches and cream and fried s'mores.

I didn't get to the fried latte, the fried peanut butter and jelly or the fried moon pies - and didn't make it to the annual classic, the corn dog. Here's my unscientific and totally biased findings:

Chicken-Fried Bacon: It received the Big Tex "Choice Award," "Best Taste" in 2008 and was a finalist this year. At $5 for about four crispy strips, it tastes like you'd expect - a crunchy, hot-fried exterior and a crumbly bacon interior. It wasn't bad; I dipped it in mustard. Wash it down with a Shiner Bock.

Would I eat it again: It's like the chocolate bacon you can buy - OK for a test run but then forget it; spend the calories elsewhere (and there are plenty of elsewheres).

Fried Butter at the Big As Texas booth: Generating a lot of foodie press, and a Choice Award for "Most Creative," it's this year's guilty curiosity. The outer fried biscuit dough tastes similar to a hush puppy, with a softish interior. Available in original, grape, cherry or garlic versions, we chose the garlic. $5 gets you the item shown in the 2nd photo above.

Verdict: It's a novelty, saved by dousing it with a product I hadn't seen before, Lemon-Lime Salt from the Twang company, which apparently is available at Amazon.

Would I eat it again: No, but pass me that salt.

Fernie's Deep Fried Peaches & Cream: Voted "Best Tasting" in the Choice Awards for 2009, so we had to know. $5 gets you a plate strafed with a bit of red, raspberry flavored syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, four fried peaches, a couple of peaches au naturel (I feel they were canned, but if they weren't, they'd been soaked in something), and a little cup of vanilla-flavored I don't know what that has been described as vanilla-butter cream sauce. The first bite reminded me of fried pies; the second bite I didn't take.

Would I eat it again: No. Too sweet, too gloppy, too much like canned peaches. Guess it's a good thing I don't judge the awards; another blogger raved about it.

Fried S'mores: Can anything go wrong when you have the campfire classic of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate? Drench it in funnel cake batter, a little hot oil, and a dusting of powdered sugar and you're in business. Another $5 down the hatch. The outer texture evoked New Orleans and a hot beignet, the inside was the melting chemistry of choc, marsh and cracker. See the first photo above.

Would I eat it again: Umm, yeah. The portion isn't large; it's about the size of a regular campfire s'more, but even so it's too rich to go it alone, so yes, I'd eat it again, but I'd share it with someone.

The local food press has noted that creators of the fried butter and the fried peaches and cream have placed as a finalist or won top prizes at the State Fair of Texas before, giving us fried grilled cheese sandwich in 2008 and fried Coke in 2006.

Like I said, there's a customer born every minute, and a sucker, too.