In Pennsylvania, the only fair I had ever been too was a small county fair near my home town. So, anyone who has attended the North Carolina State Fair can imagine the sheer amazement I felt upon seeing the State Fair for the first time. Sure, I had heard all the hype about the fair but I truly had no idea what I was about to get myself into. As some of you experienced fair-goers may know, it is fairly easy to spend a good amount of money at the fair. However, in my opinion the food I tried was worth every penny. The main point of my blog is to share the best and worst food I tasted at the North Carolina State Fair, for the enjoyment of my fellow foodies out there.
After walking around the exceptionally large fair grounds of the State Fair, I had a pretty good idea of the food I wanted to try from the endless vendors. I was so excited talking to my friend about all the different, intriguing foods that were available, she looked at my and asked, “How are you so adventurous with this stuff?” And, for once, I knew the exact answer to that question.
Growing up in my house we had a specific “Kelly Family Rule”, or KFR, as my Dad always referred to it, that shaped me into the person I am today. The rule was taken extremely seriously and was applied mostly at the dinner table. Anytime a new food was presented to me or my siblings, or if there was a dish my parents wanted one of us to try, they would say “KFR”, and it required the individual to try one bite of the new food. Overtime, this rule opened doors to foods I never would have tried, if it hadn’t been for the appreciation my parents had for different foods and cultures. I think one of the best forms of appreciation for different cultures is indulging in the traditional food dishing of an area. Its the best was I know of immersing myself into a new area or group of people. I think food has a way of really bringing people together, because in my family’s crazy life style, quality time was sometimes rare, except at the dinner table. Dinner was the one time when we all could sit down together and share our days and stories with one another.
Now to get to the good part- the food. After finally getting through the ticket lines I was pretty hungry, so I stopped and ordered a “gourmet cheeseburger” from a food tent. The burger was honestly not very good, it tasted more like a cheesesteak hoagie than a cheeseburger. So, needless to say, my first food experience at the fair was a disappointment, but I was not discouraged, in fact I was determined to find better food. So, I went for a food that many people I knew raved about, but that I had yet to try: fried oreos. I was honestly surprised by how much I liked them because fried desserts never seemed that appealing to me, but I enjoyed every last bite of that perfect combination. The last fair food that I got to taste was one that most North Carolina natives told me I HAD to try, the roasted turkey legs. And as silly as I felt holding that giant turkey leg in my small hand, I also found a great amount of amusement in partaking in a state fair tradition like that.
The North Carolina State Fair helped me feel like I was more apart of the NC State community, and made me feel more at home here than ever before. I loved sharing the memories of the State Fair with the new friends that I have made at State (almost as much as all the food) and I hope its a tradition I take part in for the years to come at school.