Pickles, Cheese and…Lutefisk? 5 of the Minnesota State Fair’s Hottest Foods of 2023.
Every year the Minnesota State Fair draws in thousands from all over the state and even the country. Among its many accolades, food is perhaps, one of the largest draws from across the land. Spending a day with the smell of fried food and spilled beer wafting through your nostrils, can only work up an insane appetite.
Each year, some of the states most creative minds brainstorm the next big thing in culinary accomplishment that will grace fairgoers. The newest dishes all boast a fresh take on traditional fair food. Daring flavor combinations and inspiring cultural blends, truly make the Minnesota State Fair cuisine of the highest tier.
As a born and raised Minnesotan, I make it to the fair every year, except this year I set out on a special mission to try 5 of the newest fair foods and give my honest review.
Making my way to the West end Market, I had my eyes set on the hot honey cheese sticks from The Blue Barn. My first visit to the fair they were sold out, so on my return I knew I was in for a treat. If there was one word to describe this dish, it is “rich”. This flavor was very homey. The honey combined with small crunchy honeycombs made the cheese really shine in its texture and freshness. On top of that the honey had a slight kick, which I think was a perfect way to elevate the dish’s flavors to a whole new level. If I had it my way, I would have gone back to the West end Market 2 more times to fill up my basket.
If there are two thing on this planet that I love, it’s cheese, and pickles. Luckily for fairgoers, there was a dish that married both, from Richies Cheese Curd Tacos. Just across from the Lee and Rose Warner Colosseum, the cheese curd dill pickle taco was born. The sourness of the pickles was counteracted perfectly by the cheese curds, and cream cheese. There was also a sweet surprise awaiting my palate, a raspberry chipotle sauce! Thinking about raspberry chipotle initially was puzzling, but as soon as these flavors hit my tongue I appreciated the boldness. The flavor ended up being well rounded with a variety of crunchy and soft textures.
I then headed over to the Bazaar to check out Shanghai Henry’s new Lutefisk steamed bun. This has to be one of the most anticipated dishes I wanted to try. Typically, I’m not a fan of lutefisk, and because it is a Minnesotan staple, I have tried it many times with no success. That is until now. I’m not sure if it was the crispness of the breading or the plush texture of the steamed bun, but this Asian-Nordic fusion really worked. Lutefisk on its own, has a somewhat fishy and sour flavor. To combat that flavor, the sweet hoisin sauce brought a balance that lutefisk had never offered me in the past. This combined with the fresh veggies and bun, created a uniquely complex flavor, that is the epitome of MN culinary creativity.
One thing about this year’s fair is that the pickles absolutely stole the show, it seemed as if every dish was experimenting with the vinegary snacks. A simpler food I tried were the Miami Mango Pickles from soul bowl. On the surface, dill pickles and mango punch don’t really seem like they would mesh, but I think these were another addition to the fairs innovative pickle faire. These pickles were the perfect light snack to keep you going throughout the fair, without the heaviness of a fried food. Soul Bowl really served the epitome of sweet and sour, and it did not disappoint.
The food I was most excited to try was the fried butternut squash ravioli from Oodles and Noodles in the main food building. To my surprise, these adventurous raviolis were accompanied by a dollop of ricotta cheese. This brought a necessary fattiness to a dish already boasting a sweet flavor which can result from frying. Combined with the salty nature of puréed butternut squash, the flavors really worked harmoniously. When one thinks of ravioli, one typically doesn’t expect a crunch, but at the MN state fair, fried is always better, and in this case it elevated the entire flavor to a whole new level. There aren’t enough savory deserts out there, and If I could cook these myself every day, I definitely would. Overall, the ravioli was the highlight of my fair food journey.
As a bonus, I decided to try another pickly innovation. The “Kind of a Big Dill” Pickle Lemonade from Nordic Waffles. Last year I was captivated by basil lemonade, so once I saw pickle lemonade, I was sold. As someone who can become overwhelmed by sweet flavors, this tangy lemonade ameliorated that problem. This lemonade somehow balanced sour lemonade and sour dill together, without leaving my face puckered.
After ending my flavor journey, I was once again impressed by the boundless creativity that is the State Fair. Fried, baked or roasted, there is something for everyone at the great Minnesota get together. Pickles stole the spotlight this year, and I am dying to see what’s in store for 2024.
