Twisted California State Fair Food Creations!!

Key Concepts

California State Fair, extreme fair food, food innovation, marketing gimmicks, flavor combinations, Mexican-inspired snacks, spam-based dishes, over-the-top desserts, state fair food culture, food preparation processes.

Outlaw Burgers: Cotton Candy Burger and Hot Cheetos Twinkie Smashburger

The first stop is Outlaw Burgers, known for its unconventional burger creations.

• Cotton Candy Burger:
  • Preparation: Pre-toasted buns are topped with compressed pink and blue cotton candy. Two beef patties are seasoned, smashed, and covered with cheese. The patties are stacked, and the cotton candy is placed on top, secured with a skewer.
  • Taste: The reviewer finds the cotton candy surprisingly complementary, comparing it to a sweet barbecue sauce. He notes that the compressed cotton candy provides a unique texture.
  • Verdict: Despite initial skepticism, the reviewer enjoys the cotton candy burger, deeming it a "big win" and acknowledging its gimmick factor.
• Hot Cheetos Twinkie Smashburger:
  • Preparation: Buns are coated in mayonnaise and hot Cheeto crumbs. Twinkies are also covered in mayonnaise and hot Cheeto dust. Two meatballs are smashed, seasoned, and topped with cheese and bacon. The patties are placed on top of the Twinkies, creating a stacked burger.
  • Taste: The reviewer acknowledges the quality of the meat and cheese but notes the burger is "messing with you." The Twinkie blends with the bun, providing a sweet element, while the hot Cheeto dust adds spice.
  • Experience: The reviewer highlights the messy nature of the burger, with ingredients squishing out with each bite.
  • Twinkie Definition: The reviewer humorously provides two definitions of a Twinkie: a slang term and the official description as "golden sponge cake with cream filling."
  • Verdict: The reviewer prefers the cotton candy burger due to its manageability and complementary sweetness.

Pepes: Sandia Pop

The next stop is Pepes, a Mexican food vendor.

• Sandia Pop:
  • Description: A watermelon slice wrapped in two strips of Fruit by the Foot, dipped in chamoy sauce (mixed with tamarindo candy), and sprinkled with taheen. A slice of lime is added on the side.
  • Origin: The Sandia Pop is described as a recent innovation inspired by a TikTok trend.
  • Preparation: Erica demonstrates the process, emphasizing the "gimmicky" nature of the snack.
  • Taste: The reviewer expresses surprise at how delicious the Sandia Pop is, despite his moderate expectations for watermelon. He notes the brittle texture of the Fruit by the Foot and the flavor combination of salt, sweetness, and spice.
  • Verdict: The reviewer is impressed, describing the watermelon as being "on steroids" due to the added flavors.

Moa King Bubble Tea: Spam Fries and Spam Tacos

The next location is Moa King Bubble Tea, which unexpectedly features a variety of spam-based dishes.

• Spam Fries:
  • Preparation: Spam is sliced into fry shapes using a French fry cutter and deep-fried until golden brown. The fries are served in cleaned spam cans.
  • Nutrition: The reviewer humorously points out the high calorie count (1,080 calories before frying) displayed on the can.
  • Taste: The reviewer describes the spam fries as tasting like crispy fried bacon, with a crunchy exterior and a moist interior. He notes their saltiness.
• Spam Tacos:
  • Preparation: Cubes of spam are glazed with Japanese barbecue sauce and placed in fried wonton taco shells. The tacos are topped with homemade coleslaw, cilantro, lime, and spicy mayo.
  • Taste: The reviewer enjoys the balance of flavors and textures in the spam tacos, highlighting the combination of the heavy fried spam with the cool coleslaw, spicy mayo, and lime juice.
  • Verdict: The reviewer appreciates the spam tacos as a healthy state fair food innovation.

Takis Corn Dog

The reviewer tries a Takis-covered corn dog.

• Description: A standard corn dog coated in crushed Takis chips.
• Takis Definition: The reviewer humorously provides incorrect definitions before stating that Takis are "a brand of rolled corn tortilla chips known for their intense crunch and spicy often chili lime flavor taste."
• Taste: The reviewer describes the taste as similar to corn tortilla chips with a citrusy and sour flavor.
• Verdict: The reviewer finds the Takis corn dog more fun than good, suggesting it as a novelty item for those seeking something new.

Eat at Joe's: Fat Daryl Sandwich

The reviewer tries the Fat Daryl sandwich.

• Origin: The Fat Daryl sandwich originated at Rutgers College, where customers could have a sandwich named after them if they ate enough of them.
• Preparation: A giant hoagie bun is filled with mayonnaise, french fries, lettuce, tomatoes, chicken strips, and mozzarella sticks.
• Taste: The reviewer finds the sandwich surprisingly palatable, noting the lubrication provided by the mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato. He suggests omitting the fries.
• Verdict: The reviewer appreciates the sandwich's audacity and the use of mozzarella sticks.

Chillin and Grillin: Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog

The reviewer tries a bacon-wrapped hot dog.

• Description: A half-pound all-beef hot dog wrapped in a quarter-pound of bacon and topped with grilled green peppers, red peppers, onions, and a whole jalapeno.
• Price: The hot dog costs $21.
• Taste: The reviewer describes the hot dog as tasting more like a fajita due to the toppings. He praises the crispy bacon and the quality of the beef.
• Verdict: Despite the high price, the reviewer acknowledges the quality of the product.

Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls: Tres Leches and Bacon Bomb

The final stop is Country Fair Cinnamon Rolls.

• Cinnamon Roll Production: Willie demonstrates the process of making cinnamon rolls, emphasizing the use of high-quality ingredients and traditional techniques. He reveals that the original cinnamon roll recipe is 48 years old.
• Tres Leches Cinnamon Roll:
  • Preparation: A hot cinnamon roll is drenched in tres leches sauce, topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and caramel sauce, and finished with grated cane sugar.
  • Taste: The reviewer describes the tres leches cinnamon roll as decadent, rich, and sweet, praising the soft bread and the combination of flavors.
• Bacon Bomb Cinnamon Roll:
  • Preparation: A cinnamon roll is topped with frosting, bacon bits, and maple syrup.
  • Taste: The reviewer finds the bacon bomb cinnamon roll to be a bold flavor combination, with the smoky bacon complementing the sweet frosting.
  • Verdict: The reviewer rates the bacon bomb cinnamon roll 10 out of 10.

Conclusion

The reviewer concludes that the most extreme and satisfying food at the California State Fair was the tres leches cinnamon roll. He announces that the next video will explore state fair food in the South.