From funnel cakes to deep-fried Oreos, no fair is complete without fried foods.
The Santa Barbara Fair and Expo, which opened Thursday at Earl Warren Showgrounds, is no exception.
Fairs are often a test of what can be deep-fried and served, so Noozhawk reporter Pricila Flores and intern Stella Mullin set out on a journey to get the scoop on what the fair at 3400 Calle Real had to offer.
The pair tasted and reviewed five different items — all in the name of journalism.
The fair’s full schedule and hours can be found here.
Deep-Fried Cheesecake Slice
Yes, that heading is correct.
The Candyland booth offers a slice of deep-fried cheesecake doused in powdered sugar for $12 (after tax).
The sweetness and gooeyness of the cheesecake slice paired well with the fried dough, Flores and Mullin agreed.
Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Korean Corn Dog
South Korean street food has made its way to Santa Barbara.
The popular Korean corn dogs feature melted cheese in the center and a thick rice flour outer coating, making them sweeter than the average corn dog.
At the Santa Barbara Fair, patrons can also get it drenched in nacho cheese and Flamin’ Hot Cheeto crumbs for $17.01 (after tax) from the Casa Burger booth.
Noozhawk’s step-in food critics agreed that the corn dogs were a great mix of crunchy, soft, salty and sweet. If eaten fresh, the corn dogs also give a satisfying cheese pull with each bite.
Dubai Chocolate Strawberries
This next one is a take on a classic dessert: chocolate-covered strawberries.
For this snack, the vendor incorporated components of the viral Dubai Chocolate bar for $17.48 (after tax), a treat that has taken the internet by storm within the past few years.
The chocolate bar features a pistachio cream filling and crunchy sprinkles of Kataifi, which is shredded phyllo or “unleavened dough.”
The Dubai Chocolate Strawberries booth offered a cup of strawberries with a drizzle of chocolate, pistachio cream and a sprinkling of Kataifi.
If a fan of Dubai Chocolate, Flores and Mullin recommend it. The strawberries were refreshing, offering a nice balance to the sweetness of the chocolate, they reported.
“Dirty” Blue Blast Energy
The internet trends did not stop at the strawberries.
The pair next tried a “dirty” energy soda for $9 (after tax) from a booth that had images of drinks plastered on the side of it.
A “dirty soda” involves adding flavored syrups and sweet cream to sodas. It became extremely popular in Utah with the soda shop Swig Drinks.
The Santa Barbara booth took it one step further and added energy drinks.
Flores and Mullin ordered the $9 Blue Blast Energy, which consists of an energy drink — either Red Bull or Monster Energy — blue raspberry, lemon flavoring and the choice of sweet cream. (They chose coconut.)
Despite the “blue” name, they were handed a green drink with the coconut cream at the top that was separated into tiny chunks. The pair reported that the drink largely tasted like Red Bull.
Deep-Fried Peach Basket
Sophia’s Sweet Treats booth advertised the classic deep-fried Oreos, Twinkies and Kit Kats and a deep-fried peach basket.
After paying $11 (after tax), the pair was handed a paper basket of fried peach nuggets with whipped cream on top. They report it tasted heavily of fried dough, but lacked an overwhelming peach flavor.
