Jeff Caplan’s Minute of News: What’s the new state fair food this year?

Today I’m putting it right out there and admit this piece is 100% fluff. It’s nothing but cotton candy… literally. Because this summer at state fairs around the country they’ve finally stopped inventing new foods to fry.

When they landed on deep-fried butter and, my goodness, fried jelly beans, there was nothing left to batter. So this year the new food trend at state fairs is everyday snacks wrapped in fluffy, downy-soft, cotton candy.  

At the Texas State Fair, it’s bacon wrapped in cotton candy. At Arizona Cardinals games this season they’re selling the cotton candy burrito. No meat. It’s filled with loose candy.  

For Utahns who crave that psychotic and overpowering sugar rush, this is what you want. But if you’re the type who wants cotton candy with a touch of balance for your palette, there’s a food truck that sells cotton candy-covered pickles. You can even get Flaming Hot Cheetos served in a sweet sweet blanket of spun sugar. 

For you state-fair traditionalists who scoff at sickly sweet confections and want your food fried and then fried again, some enterprising foodies on Instagram have published recipes for what might be the most unhealthy food ever invented. Deep Fried Cotton Candy. You might as well deep fry your heart valves and wrap them in cotton candy. The way I wrapped this minute in fluff.