Here are the Minnesota State Fair’s official new foods for 2023

Jared Kaufman, Pioneer Press
Updated ·11 min read

At last year’s State Fair, the line for a slice of pickle pizza stretched down the block.

So this year, we’re getting — are you ready? — pickle fries, pickle lemonade, pickle cheese curd tacos, pickle paleta popsicles, mango punch-infused pickles and even pickle fudge.

With 34 total entries, the 2023 list of official new Minnesota State Fair foods is smaller than last year’s, but both longtime institutions and new favorites like Union Hmong Kitchen have fresh options for us to dig into. The Fair also has seven exciting new vendors, including downtown favorite Afro Deli.

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So don’t worry — it’s not all pickles. There’s plenty of cheese curds, bacon, and mini donut innovations to go around. (Plus, lutefisk makes a cameo appearance.)

*Indicates new vendor. All new vendors listed below.

Official New Foods

1. Al Taco Baba: Traditional hummus, harissa, barbacoa, corn, queso fresco, chili dust, shatta (hot sauce), crema, cilantro and pita puffs.

At Baba’s — east side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues (just south of Little Farm Hands)

2. Ba-Sants in Two Varieties — Everything Cream Cheese and Sweet Corn: A buttery, crisp, caramelized pastry that’s a combination of a bagel and croissant. Everything Cream Cheese Ba-Sant is rolled in poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onion flakes, garlic flakes, black pepper and sea salt with a scallion cream cheese filling. Sweet Corn Ba-Sant is filled with fresh sweet corn custard and garnished with crunchy caramel corn.

At French Meadow Bakery & Cafe — north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

3. Bacon-Wrapped Waffle Dog: Griddled bacon-wrapped Kramarczuk hot dog served on a Nordic Waffle with cheddar cheese, pickle slices and crispy onions, and drizzled with burger sauce.

At Nordic Waffles — West End Market, south section

4. Basil Hummus With Spicy Walnut Topping: Holy Land hummus blended with fresh basil and topped with a mix of crushed walnuts, crushed red chili pepper, garlic and olive oil. Served with homemade garlic parmesan chips. (Hummus is vegan and gluten-free; chips are vegetarian-friendly with gluten-free option available.)

At Holy Land — International Bazaar, southeast corner

5. Bee Sting Sundae: Bridgeman’s vanilla ice cream topped with hot honey, spicy peanuts, whipped cream and a cherry. (Vegetarian, gluten-friendly)

At Bridgeman’s Ice Cream — northeast corner of Judson Avenue and Liggett Street

6. Birthday Cake Mini Donuts: Birthday cake-flavored mini donuts coated with vanilla sugar, drizzled with icing, and dusted with sugar crystals and sprinkles.

At Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds — east side of Underwood Street between Murphy and Lee avenues

7. Cheese Curd Stuffed Pizza Pretzel: Scratch-made jumbo pizza dough pretzel, hand-twisted and stuffed with Ellsworth cheese curds, pepperoni and a Green Mill blend of Italian spices. Brushed with garlic butter and topped with diced pepperoni, herbs and parmesan cheese. Served with Green Mill pizza sauce.

At Green Mill — east side of Cooper Street between Randall and Wright avenues (at Family Fair at Baldwin Park)

8. Cheesecake Curds: Eli’s Cheesecake pieces covered in funnel cake batter, fried and dusted with powdered sugar and salt. Served with strawberry dipping sauce.

At LuLu’s Public House — West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater

9. Chicken Momo With Tomato Chutney: Blend of ground chicken, cabbage, onion, ginger and other spices steamed in a dough wrapper. Served with tomato chutney. (Available Aug. 24–29 only)

At Midtown Global Market’s MomoDosa* — Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall

10. Cloud Coolers in Three Flavors: Three choices of lemonade served with a cotton candy cloud spun onto the drinking straw. Summer Strawberry — strawberry lemonade topped with strawberry fields cotton candy. Happy Huckleberry — huckleberry lemonade topped with blackberry jam cotton candy. Flower Power — violet lemonade topped with lavender love cotton candy.

At Spinning Wylde — new location: north of Wright Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets (at Family Fair at Baldwin Park)

11. Crispy Lutefisk Steam Bun: Steamed lotus bun filled with a blend of cabbage, carrots, cilantro and yum yum sauce, plus Olsen Fish Company lutefisk brined in salt water for 12 hours, covered in sweet hoisin sauce, then baked and topped with sesame seeds.

At Shanghai Henri’s — International Bazaar, north wall

12. Crunchy Balboa: Deep-fried tortilla filled with vegan roast beef, bacon and cheese sauce, plus peppers, onions and a hashbrown patty. Served with vegan Follow Your Heart seasoned sour cream. (Vegan)

At The Herbivorous Butcher — Food Building, west section, south wall

13. Dill Pickle Cheese Curd Taco: Fried white cheddar cheese curds, sandwich stacker dill pickles, cream cheese, lettuce and raspberry chipotle sauce in a fried flour tortilla. (Vegetarian)

At Richie’s Cheese Curd Tacos — north side of Judson Avenue between Liggett and Clough streets (outside the Sheep & Poultry Barn)

14. Donut Delights: Mini donuts wrapped in bacon, on-a-stick, then deep-fried, topped with a layer of peanut butter and drizzled with raspberry dessert sauce.

At Coasters — southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street

15. Fried Butternut Squash Ravioli: Deep-fried butternut squash ravioli sprinkled with maple cinnamon sugar. Served with a side of whipped ricotta. (Vegetarian)

At Oodles of Noodles — Food Building, east wall

16. Fried Green Tomato Sandwich in Two Varieties — BLT and Vegetarian: Two deep-fried locally grown green tomato slices in a crust of Whole Grain Milling Co. High Lysine Cornmeal, with mustard mayonnaise made with Lost Capital Economics Coarse Spicy Ale Mustard, and local lettuce on a toasted brioche bun from The Good Bread Company. BLT is served with bacon from Pastures a Plenty & Hidden Stream Farm. Vegetarian option is served with locally produced charred sweet corn relish.

At Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop — north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets

17. Fruity Cereal Milk Biscuit: A Betty and Earl’s biscuit made with fruity cereal milk and cereal bits, drizzled with icing flavored with fruity cereal, and topped with more cereal bits.

At LuLu’s Public House — West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater

18. Galabao: Traditional Hmong-style steamed bun stuffed with ground pork, egg and spices — a recipe from Chef Yia Vang’s mom. Served with choice of Krunchy Chili Oil, Kua Txob (pronounced kuwah-tsaw) Hot Pepper Sauce or Lemongrass Scallion Dressing.

At Union Hmong Kitchen — International Bazaar, south wall, west corner

19. Holey Hamloaf Breakfast Sandwich: Hamline Church Dining Hall hamloaf, tangy glaze, caramelized onions and cheese in a sandwich made with fried egg-in-a-hole toast.

At Hamline Church Dining Hall — north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Underwood and Cooper streets

20. Hot Honey Cheese Sticks: Fried Halloumi cheese topped with hot honey and honeycomb crunch. (Vegetarian)

At The Blue Barn — West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center

21. Irish Butter Ice Cream Over Brown Sugar Cinnamon Toast: Ice cream made with European-style butter served on brown sugar cinnamon toast, drizzled with butter syrup and sprinkled with sea salt flakes.

At Blue Moon Dine-In Theater — northeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street

22. Italian Duo Dunkers: Two Italian-themed hand pies with seasoned parmesan crusts. One with sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella cheese in a 7 Vines Winery red wine-infused pizza sauce; the other with chicken, mushrooms and spinach in a creamy garlic alfredo sauce. Served with garlic butter dipping sauce.

At Sara’s Tipsy Pies — Food Building, northwest wall

23. Jam’nades in Two Varieties — Blueberry Mint and Strawberry Jalapeño: Organic lemonade infused with locally made jams in two varieties: Blueberry Mint Jam’nade with a spoonful of blueberry jam and topped with mint sprigs; Strawberry Jalapeño Jam’nade with a spoonful of strawberry jam and jalapeño slices. Served with a boba tea straw. (Vegan, gluten-free)

At Jammy Sammies by BRIM — North End, northwest section (across from the North End Event Center)

24. “Kind of a Big Dill” Pickle Lemonade: Lemonade mixed with tangy dill pickling spices, craft brewed by Urban Growler and garnished with a crunchy slice of pickle. (Non-alcoholic)

At Nordic Waffles — West End Market, south section

25. Lemonade Sorbet: Lemon sorbet made with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest and mint garnish, served in a frozen half-lemon shell. (Vegan, gluten-free)

At Quench’d: Lemonade/Bottled Water — south side of Dan Patch Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

26. Loaded Lobster Fries: Lobster in garlic-and-herb butter, served on a bed of french fries sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning, topped with bacon, drizzled with homemade chipotle mayonnaise, and garnished with green onion and a lemon wedge.

At Cafe Caribe — south side of Carnes Avenue between Chambers and Clough streets

27. Maui-Sota Sticky Ribs: Slow-smoked St. Louis-style ribs, caramelized with RC’s Sticky Huli Huli sauce and seasoned with furikake, green onion and cilantro.

At RC’s BBQ — north side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets

28. Miami Mango Pickles: Dill pickles infused with Miami mango punch.

At Soul Bowl — Food Building, east wall

29. MinneCookieDough Pie: Homemade chocolate chip cookie dough in a flaky pie crust dusted with powdered sugar. Served with choice of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

At Minneapple Pie — south side of Judson Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets

30. Paletas in Two Flavors — Dill Pickle Lemonade and Mini Donut: Mexican frozen treats on-a-stick in two flavors made locally by La Michoacana Rose: Dill Pickle Lemonade Paleta is lemon-flavored, water-based and includes dill pickle slices (vegan); Mini Donut Paleta is vanilla ice cream with mini donut bits and a whole cinnamon mini donut inside (vegetarian).

At Hamline Church Dining Hall — north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Underwood and Cooper streets

31. Pickle Fries: Crispy, tangy thin-cut dill pickle fries lightly coated in a cornmeal-and-seasoned-mustard batter. Served with a side of chipotle dipping sauce.

At Mike’s Hamburgers — northeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Nelson Street

32. Smoked Beef Arepa: Smoked roast beef, avocado puree, fresh tomatoes, red onions and arugula in a baked Venezuelan crispy corn pocket. (Gluten-free; available Aug. 30 – Sept. 4 only)

At Midtown Global Market’s Arepa Bar — Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall

33. Sota-cuterie Board: Collection of Minnesota-made meats, cheeses, pickles and other charcuterie board favorites — served on an edible herb-crusted cracker “board.”

At Sabino’s Pizza Pies — Warner Coliseum, north side

34. Walleye Fritter Pops: Smoked walleye mixed with a blend of cheeses, dill pickle relish, fresh garlic and spices, rolled in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Served on-a-stick with a side of comeback sauce and a lemon slice.

At Giggles’ Campfire Grill — southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street (at The North Woods)

New Food Vendors

Afro Deli: Serving Sambusas in three varieties: beef, chicken, or veggie. They’re fried triangle-shaped pastries with choice of meat or lentils, mixed with onions, garlic and cilantro, and served with “Basbaas,” a spicy Somali dipping sauce made with fresh chili peppers, jalapeños, cilantro, onions and lemon juice. Other menu items include Sweet Plantains, pieces of ripe plantains fried until golden brown (vegetarian); Somali Tea, a fragrant, spiced infusion of tea leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg, served hot or iced (vegetarian); and fresh mango juice (vegetarian).

Located in the Food Building, east wall

Bandstand Concessions: Serving the Bandstand Burger, Brucy Lucy bratwurst, Chicken Press sandwich, Lil Smoky Hot Dog, Pretzel Nugs, Facepunch Pretzels, Deep-Fried Baked Potato, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, assorted candy and a variety of beer, wine, soda, Red Bull drinks, lemonade and bottled water.

Located in the Grandstand concert venue (separate concert ticket required)

Churros & Aguas Fresca: Serving bags of churros with caramel or fudge sauce; churros filled with strawberry, Nutella or Bavarian cream; churro sundaes with vanilla bean or cinnamon ice cream; and aguas frescas in watermelon, mango, pineapple and strawberry lime flavors.

Located on the northeast corner of Lee Avenue and Underwood Street

MomoDosa: Serving official new food Chicken Momo With Tomato Chutney. Other menu items include Masala Dosa (South Indian crepe of rice and lentil batter, ghee, and served with tomato chutney and coconut chutney); Veggie Pakora (shredded cabbage and onions dipped in chickpea batter, fried and served with mint and cilantro chutney and tamarind chutney, vegan and gluten-free); and Mango Lassi (smoothie made with mangoes, yogurt, powdered cardamom and cloves).

Located in the Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth — International Bazaar, east wall (Aug. 24-29 only)

Peachey’s Baking Company: Serving Amish doughnuts made on-site using traditional Amish recipes, topped with vanilla glaze and served warm; Peanut Butter Cream Doughnut, an oversized Amish doughnut topped with house-made vanilla custard, peanut butter crumbles and whipped cream; and Southern Sweet Tea, a fresh-brewed tea sweetened with cane sugar.

Located on the north side of Randall Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets (in front of the Progress Center)

Tasti Whip: Serving Dole Soft Serve in pineapple, mango, strawberry and lemon flavors; Dole Floats with pineapple, mango, strawberry and lemon-flavored Dole Whip in pineapple juice; Dole pineapple juice; and bottled water.

Located on the northwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street

Wow Fudge: Serving more than 70 varieties of gourmet, handcrafted, old-fashioned copper kettle fudge, including new custom Minnesota State Fair flavors: Strawberry Rhubarb, Blueberry Cheesecake and St. Paul Pickle.

Located in the Creative Activities Annex, south wall

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