I decided to watch the Texans in one of their most natural habitats.
The Texas State Fair.
An ethnographer's dream, an eater's paradise, a cardiac surgeon's bread and butter (which too, probably comes fried).
We were all in Dallas for an event, while the Fair was going on, so it worked out perfectly. We had an event during the day, it was slow, but nothing could ruin the giddy feeling in my veins when I thought of finally getting to go to one of these crazy shindigs. I wish I had brought my cowboy boots. I would have totally fit in.
Friend B and I went after work. Once we got to the Fairgrounds, you could see the craziness from a mile away. I knew I was in for a treat.
Now, let's be frank here. Sure, there are a lot of things going on at the fair. Pig Races (we totally watched one) Rides (we went on the Ferris Wheel...where I learned Friend B is terrible at taking photos) and other weird activities.
But everyone is really here for the food.
The Fried Glorious Food.
Every year they do some sort of contest for who can make the most original fried item. These people literally fry everything. I could have sworn I saw a fried couch at one point. This year the winner was a friend, bacon wrapped cinnamon roll. I didn't much care for it. Mostly because I don't really like Cinnamon rolls. Or Bacon. But the fried part, that was goooood.
I, clearly, not being from around this place, had to try everything (and let every single person we came across know that I was a foreigner in a strange land...they were nice and gave us free food).
Here's all that ended up in my stomach that night:
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| This is what people eat here. #whyAmericaisobese |
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| Fried Butter with Sugar. This sounds gross. It was gross. But it also actually tasted good. Like a doughnut with a melted butter filling. Yeah, it still sounds gross. |
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| Now, I will not lie. This was damn delicious. It was fried jambalaya with an onion ring. I'm not sure what the onion ring was for...decoration? |
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| Fried peanut butter and jelly. 'Nuff Said. |
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| Fried cactus (gross) and the award-winning Cinnamon Roll. |
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| Inside that sucker. |
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| Apparently this is a Texas staple. Free-Dough Pie. Not to be confused with the Northern version: The Frito Pie |
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| I think this was a fried s'more. I'm not quite sure though, I think I was in a diabetic coma when I ate it. |
Now I know what I was missing by growing up anywhere but Texas.
Which is maybe a good thing, because it's been a week and I'm pretty sure I still have remnants of the fried food in my blood stream.
Don't know if my cholesterol will ever go back to normal.
I, of course, cannot talk about the Texas Fair without giving this man a shout-out. Big Tex. A ridiculously large (shocking) man that apparently talks....according to Friend B at least. The thing never did while I was there.
*****Blog edit: Just a few weeks after we were at the Fair. Big Tex caught on fire and burned down. May you rest in peace you gentle giant.
