Midwest State Fair Food: What to Eat and Plan For

Midwest state fair food is a late summer ritual with its own vocabulary: a stick, a basket, a bucket, a puff. A recent ranking based on Yelp reviews put Minnesota first and Iowa third for fair eating, with the Iowa pork chop on a stick and Sporkies at Minnesota among the signature items.

What makes Midwest state fair food special?

Fairs began as agricultural showcases, and food is still tied to the farms around them. Pork, beef, dairy, corn and fruit appear in nearly everything. The other tradition is the stick. Cooks at Midwest fairs have put almost anything on a stick, from corn dogs to pork chops to pickles, because a stick makes food easy to carry through a crowd.

The result is a menu that mixes the old and the strange. A cream puff made on site sits beside a deep fried treat that appeared for the first time this year. Both are part of the fun.

It helps to think of a fair as three meals. There is the farm meal, such as a pork sandwich, a roasted ear of corn or a dairy treat. There is the novelty meal, which changes every year and is meant to be talked about. And there is the nostalgia meal, the lemonade and the funnel cake that everyone remembers from childhood. A good day includes one of each.

What is the Iowa State Fair famous for?

The Iowa State Fair is known for its pork chop on a stick, a thick cut chop grilled and served on a skewer, and the fair offers dozens of foods on a stick. The pork chop is a point of pride in a state that raises a great deal of pork. Fans line up for it, and many return every year.

Other Iowa favorites include sweet corn, corn dogs, fried foods and a long list of new items that vendors introduce. Dates change from year to year, so check the fair's own page for the season.

The fair is as much about the animals and the farm exhibits as the stalls, and many visitors say the best meal is the one eaten in the shade of a barn after a walk past the cattle. Bring a hat, and look for the food stands run by commodity groups, which often sell pork, beef or dairy at their source.

Why do people talk about Minnesota State Fair cream puffs?

Minnesota State Fair cream puffs are one of the treats a Star Tribune food critic recommends as a top performing item baked on the fairgrounds and prepared before your eyes. A puff is a light pastry shell filled with fresh whipped cream, and watching the cooks fill them is part of the show.

The Minnesota fair is known for food on a stick, and a Star Tribune article tracks how the habit became a tradition. The fair also hosts a contest called the Sporkies for new treats. Plan to graze, share and try one item you have never seen.

What does Ohio offer at its fair?

Ohio's fair is known for deep fried buckeyes, a Thanksgiving sundae, a donut cheeseburger and, among the savory items, Schmidt's bratwurst. A food writer notes that the bratwurst honors the region's German heritage, with sausage sandwiches, bratwurst and frankfurters topped with sauerkraut.

If you like a sausage, this is a good place to start. Pair it with a lemonade, and take a walk through the agricultural exhibits to burn off lunch.

How does Wisconsin compare?

Wisconsin's fair shines for cheese curds and for its original cream puffs, which draw long lines in a cool, bright building. The state is also known for cheese, beer and brats, and the fair reflects that. A basket of fried curds and a cream puff make a good start.

Wisconsin's reputation for dairy gives its fair a different feel. You will find milk, ice cream and cheese at stalls, and the exhibits of dairy cows are as popular as the rides.

The cream puff is a good test of the fair's character. It is a simple pastry, filled to order, and its quality depends on freshness. Watch the line move, and eat the puff right away, while the shell is crisp and the cream is cold.

How do you plan a day of eating on a stick?

Go early to beat the lines and the heat. Walk the entire fairgrounds before you buy. Share each item, and set a limit on how many you will order at one time. Bring water, because it is easy to get dehydrated, and sunscreen.

Check the schedule and the fairground map. Many fairs publish a list of new foods, and the best of them sell out. Arrive at lunchtime on a weekday for shorter lines.

What should you know about timing and dates?

State fairs run for a limited number of days in late summer, and dates change each year. If you are reading this in the fall, mark next year. Check the fair's own page for dates, gate hours and parking, and buy tickets in advance if the fair sells them online.

Weather can change plans, so bring a light jacket for evening and a poncho for rain.

If you cannot attend, you can still learn from the fairs. Many publish food guides and lists of new items before they open, and local newspapers review them. Reading those lists is a good way to see what the region is excited about, and to plan a menu for next year.

What else should you eat around the Midwest?

For the region's savory classics, read the Midwest regional foods guide. For a sweet note in Wisconsin, see the best frozen custard in Milwaukee, and for the cooler season, the Midwest fall food guide is next. The US guides page lists more.

How do you remember what you ate at a Midwest state fair?

Fair food is gone in three bites, so write it down while your fingers are sticky. Rate the cream puff, the corn dog or the pork chop on a stick by the dish and add a tag such as Must-Try for the one worth the line.

Keep a state fair list for each year and invite the family with the link, so next summer begins with last summer's winners.

A fair is a day of tasting, and it is easy to forget what was best. Get the Mosey app, rate each item you try by its flavor and its fun, and keep a fair list so that next year you start with the winners.