Arizona State Fair food named one of the weirdest in U.S.

Nationwide, state fairs serve some truly wild foods. One scary snack in Arizona takes the (funnel) cake.

August 21, 2024

No visit to the fair is complete without eating food on a stick. This Hot Cheetos Chicken on a Stick made its debut at the 2023 Arizona State Fair. Allison Young

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Around the country, many people attend their local state fair each year with one mission in mind: To try the weirdest foods they can find.

And if this is your calling, it may be one worth sticking to. Combining deep-fried Oreos, Hot Cheetos dust and a spin on the Tilt-a-Whirl may have drastic results.

But as vendors compete to attract the attention of the fair's most adventurous eaters, they create crazier foods each year. Isabelle Paquette, a writer at Woman's World magazine, has ranked the weirdest state fair foods from around the country.

Arizona made the cut. A food so wild that it dabbles with being dangerous earned us the number two spot on the list.

"If you’re looking to add a little crunch to your diet, the Arizona State Fair has you covered with fried scorpions," Paquette writes. "They’re surprisingly tasty, with a flavor reminiscent of shrimp, if you can get past the whole eating-a-scorpion part."

The Mississippi State Fair took the top spot, thanks to its Kool-Aid pickles, or "Koolickles." Paquette described the strange combination as "half-dill, half-dessert." Number three went to Texas for deep-fried spaghetti and meatballs.

On our visit to the 2023 Arizona State Fair, we didn't come across any deep-fried scorpions. The vibe leaned more toward "Barbie" and Hot Cheetos-dusted everything. The seemingly ever-present drinks served in giant baby bottles continued to allure attendees. And the Deep Fried Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich challenged us to a round of speed eating before this sugar bomb melted all over the place.

This year, the Arizona State Fair returns to the McDowell Road fairgrounds on Sept. 20. It runs Thursdays through Sundays each weekend until Oct. 27. Attendees can enjoy plenty of rides, live music and festivities.

But this year, we'll be on the lookout for crunchy fried scorpions and anyone brave enough to give these crispy crawlers a try.

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Tirion Boan is the Food Editor of Phoenix New Times where she’s worked since May 2022. Tirion keeps a close eye on restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on metro Phoenix food news and trends. She also publishes major annual lists like Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the Best of Phoenix project. Tirion previously worked for publications including The Arizona Republic and The Tucson Weekly. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from the University of Arizona.

Contact: Tirion Boan

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