RALEIGH — Banana pudding layered with Biscoff cookies, pork belly burnt ends and edible cookie dough from Wisconsin are among the new foods headed to the North Carolina State Fair, where vendors offered a preview Monday ahead of Thursday’s opening.
The annual Deep Fried Media Day showcased some of the fair’s 84 new food and drink offerings. Tropical Delights won the favorite sweet award, while Fat Boys BBQ took favorite savory honors in the tasting competition.
Tropical Delights’ Biscoff ’Nana Puddin’ combines banana pudding, cookie butter and Biscoff crumbles. Fat Boys BBQ is featuring pork belly burnt ends. Other additions include birria egg rolls from Tacos Neza, a Carolina Yam ’n Ham Biscuit from Granny’s Country Kitchen and pickle cheesecake from Davis Concessions/Mr. Pickle.
Other announced offerings include Haitian plantain boats and oxtail empanadas from Kreyol Flavors, a Dubai burger topped with pistachio sauce from Urban Olive Mediterranean and blooming deep-fried caramel apples from the Candi Queen.
The menu also reflects the fair’s reach beyond North Carolina. Kora & Mila’s Cookie Dough, a family business from Plymouth, Wisconsin, is bringing Brandy Old Fashioned Cookie Dough, made with orange zest, cinnamon, chocolate chips and tart cherries, then dipped in chocolate and coated in Biscoff crumbs. The business, operated by Joseph Haag and his family, is named for his two daughters.
Food may bring people through the gates, but Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said the fair also represents a significant business opportunity for vendors and the surrounding region…