歪歪漫画

ST. PAUL 鈥� It鈥檚 almost that time of year again!

The Minnesota State Fair has announced its official 2025 list of new foods, and there鈥檚 plenty to get excited about, including a few new takes on cheese curds (caprese and a dessert version) and two fun takes on waffles (falafel and croissant).

There are 33 new foods and eight new vendors, including Lumpia City, serving wild versions of the traditional Filipino spring rolls, and a new mocktail stand, Urban Glow, from the owners of St. Paul鈥檚 Urban Growler brewery.

With just 43 days to go, it鈥檚 time to start planning, and for us, that means staring down the barrel of trying every single one of these. (* indicates a new vendor.)

Here they are, in all their deep-fried, on-a-stick, weird and wonderful glory:

1. Afro Bean Pops: Savory deep-fried bites of ground black-eyed peas, onions, jalape帽os, cilantro and seasonings. Served with a spicy red chili sauce atop a bed of mixed greens. (Vegan, gluten free) At Afro Deli, located in the Food Building, east wall.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

2. Athena鈥檚 Whipped Feta: Whipped feta topped with schug 鈥� a Middle Eastern green sauce made with jalape帽os, garlic, cilantro, parsley and fresh herbs 鈥� drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with crunchy toasted wild rice. Served with deep-fried pita bread tossed in Dino鈥檚 signature seasoning. (Vegetarian.) At Dino鈥檚 Gyros, located on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.

3. Birthday Cake Cookie Dough On-A-Stick: Cake batter cookie dough made from scratch and covered in a crunchy cake confetti shell. Topped with rainbow sprinkles and served on a stick. (Vegetarian.) At Kora & Mila鈥檚 Cookie Dough, located on the south side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

4. Bison Meatball Sub: Bison and bacon meatballs, from Minnesota-based Eichten鈥檚 Bison and Hidden Stream Farm, topped with bison gravy, quick-pickled cucumbers, crispy fried onions and sour cream. Served on a toasted wild rice hoagie bun. At Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop, located on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets.

5. Cannoli Gelato Nachos: Cannoli chips topped with a scoop of cannoli-flavored gelato. Finished with chocolate sauce, rainbow sprinkles and a cherry. (Vegetarian.) At Mancini鈥檚 al Fresco, located on the north side of Carnes Avenue between Nelson and Underwood streets.

6. Caprese Curds: Mozzarella cheese curds breaded with Italian seasoning and deep fried. Served over a bruschetta-flavored blend of tomatoes and basil, and drizzled with balsamic glaze. Served with a side of crostini for scooping. (Vegetarian.) At LuLu鈥檚 Public House, located at West End Market, south of Schilling Amphitheater.

7. Cherry Bigfoot Limeade Float: Limeade juice topped with cherry Dole Soft Serve, garnished with a lime slice and a cherry. (Vegan, gluten free.) At Tasti Whip, located on the northwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street.

8. Chicken-Fried Bacon Fries: Beef bacon strips double-breaded in tempura flour and fried. Garnished with fresh parsley and served in a cup. Choice of two dipping sauces: Cashville Hot, a brown sugar Nashville-style hot sauce; or 24k Gold BBQ, a passion fruit Charleston gold barbecue sauce. At Soul Bowl, located in the Food Building, east wall.

9. Cinna-sugar Crust Tidbits: Freshly baked flaky pie crust strips covered in cinnamon and sugar. Served with a side of whiskey-flavored caramel dipping sauce. (Vegetarian, vegan upon request.) At Sara鈥檚 Tipsy Pies, located in the Food Building, northwest wall.

10. Croffle Cloud: Croissant pressed in a waffle iron and topped with fresh whipped sweet cream, a drizzle of fruit puree and a cloud of cotton candy. Choice of three flavors: Banana Caramel 鈥� caramel drizzle with banana taffy cotton candy; Yuzu Meringue 鈥� yuzu puree with lemon meringue cotton candy; or Coconut Cream 鈥� coconut drizzle with coconut cotton candy. (Vegetarian.) At Spinning Wylde, located north of Wright Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets, at Family Fair at Baldwin Park.

11. Deep-Fried Tofuego Bites: Bites of breaded tofu, deep fried and tossed in a tangy, spicy sauce. Served on a bed of pineapple and napa cabbage slaw. Topped with sesame seeds and scallions. (Vegan) At Rooted & Wild (Snack House), located in the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum, south side.

12. Dill Pickle Iced Tea: Brewed black tea infused with dill pickle flavor and served with a dill pickle spear. Garnished with a rim of chamoy, Taj铆n, salt and dill. (Vegan, gluten free.) At Loon Lake Iced Tea, located on the west side of Underwood Street between Wright and Dan Patch avenues.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

13. Fawaffle: Falafel 鈥� a traditional Middle Eastern fritter of chickpeas and herbs 鈥� pressed in a waffle iron, topped with tahini butter, and served with cherry tomatoes, traditional hummus, green shatta, mint and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. (Vegetarian.) At Baba鈥檚, located on the west side of Underwood Street between Lee and Randall avenues.

14. Flauta Dippers: Seasoned shredded chicken stuffed in rolled corn tortillas and fried. Served in a cup filled with mild tomatillo salsa, sour cream and crumbled cotija cheese. At El Burrito Mercado, located at the International Bazaar, south wall.

15. Freaky Fryday: Chicken-fried vegan bacon served with vegan fried chicken strips infused with bacon flavor. Optional toppings include mini doughnut cinnamon sugar and maple syrup, pickle seasoning and ranch dressing, spicy buffalo sauce and dragon dust 鈥� or a combination of all three. (Vegan.) At The Herbivorous Butcher, located in the Food Building, west section, south wall.

16. Grandma Doreen鈥檚 Dessert Dog: Vanilla ice cream, created by Minnesota Dairy Lab, sandwiched between two pieces of Grandma Doreen鈥檚 Coffee Cake 鈥� a family recipe from Elgin 鈥� made by Wrecktangle Pizza. Skewered on a stick and drizzled with house-made strawberry rhubarb jam. Garnished with cinnamon toast-flavored crispy treats, whipped cream and sprinkles. (Vegetarian.) At West End Creamery, located at West End Market, northwest section.

17. Green Apple Sucker Ice Cream: Tart green apple ice cream with swirls of sweet caramel 鈥� flavored like a caramel apple lollipop. Served in a cup. (Vegetarian, gluten free.) At Granny鈥檚 Apples + Lemonade, located in the Food Building, west wall.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

18. Hot Honey Jalape帽o Popper Donut: Hand-cut yeast-raised doughnut frosted with homemade jalape帽o cream cheese. Topped with crumbled bacon, pickled jalape帽os and drizzled with hot honey. At Fluffy鈥檚 Hand Cut Donuts, located on the northwest corner of Carnes Avenue and Chambers Street.

19. Hot Honey Pizza Ballzz: Three pizza dough balls stuffed with cheese curds, pepperoni, herbs and Parmesan cheese. Brushed with garlic butter and topped with more pepperoni, herbs and Parmesan cheese. Finished with a drizzle of hot honey sauce. At Green Mill, located on the east side of Cooper Street between Randall and Wright avenues, at Family Fair at Baldwin Park.

20: Hula Kalua Pork: Slow-smoked pork collar caramelized with Hawaiian barbecue sauce, inspired by the flavors of traditional Hawaiian Kalua pork. Served atop a charred banana leaf with banana chips and Japanese quick-pickled cucumbers on the side. Finished with a sprinkle of coarse red sea salt. At RC鈥檚 BBQ, located on the north side of West Dan Patch Avenue between Liggett and Chambers streets.

21. Land of 10,000 Cakes: A Bridgeman鈥檚 Marble Sundae of Butter Brittle Ice Cream layered in a cup with a trio of mini Nadia Cupcakes 鈥� Creme Brulee, Loaded Pistachio and Chocolate Bliss. Topped with whipped cream and a cherry. (Vegetarian.) At Bridgeman鈥檚 Ice Cream, located on the northeast corner of Judson Avenue and Liggett Street.

22. Patisserie Sweets in Two Varieties: Two pastries from Patisserie 46. Apple Glaze: Pull-apart doughnut dough baked with Minnesota-grown Honeycrisp apples. Topped with brown sugar pecan streusel and orange blossom maple glaze. (Vegetarian.) Banana S鈥檓ore: Baked brown-butter crumb cake with bananas, marshmallows and chocolate chunks. Topped with a graham cracker streusel. (Vegetarian.) At Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop, located on the north side of Dan Patch Avenue between Cooper and Cosgrove streets.

23. Pimento Cheese Puffs: Pimento cheese 鈥� a blend of cheddar cheese, mayo and pimento peppers 鈥� wrapped in puff pastry and deep fried. Served with a side of pepper jelly. (Vegetarian.) At Shanghai Henri鈥檚, located at the International Bazaar, north wall.

24. Pizza Cheese Curd Tacos: Pepperoni, sausage and pizza-flavored fried cheese curds in a crispy flour shell, topped with marinara sauce and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. At Richie鈥檚 Cheese Curd Tacos, located on the west side of Chambers Street between West Dan Patch and Carnes avenues.

25. Pot of Gold Potato Dumplings: Cheesy garlic mashed potatoes folded into flaky dumplings, by Twin Cities-based Saturday Dumpling Co., and deep fried. Served with a side of Top the Tater 鈥淭he Original鈥� Chive Onion dip. (Vegetarian.) At O鈥橤ara鈥檚 at the Fair, located on the southwest corner of Dan Patch Avenue and Cosgrove Street.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

26. Shrimp & Pork Toast On-A-Stick: A mixture of ground pork and shrimp combined with Hmong aromatics 鈥� lemongrass, ginger, garlic, shallots and Thai chilis 鈥� seasoned with fish sauce, spread on Texas toast and deep fried. Served on a stick with a side of apricot jelly hot sauce. At Union Hmong Kitchen, located at the International Bazaar, south wall, west corner.

27. Smashadilla: Smashed seasoned ground beef and Gouda cheese grilled on a flour tortilla. Served folded and dressed with caramelized onions, lettuce, pickles and Gass Station Grill鈥檚 homemade burger sauce. At Gass Station Grill, located on the west side of Cooper Street between Dan Patch and Judson avenues, outside southeast corner of the Food Building.

*28. Somali Street Fries: A blend of Somali Beef Suqaar 鈥� spiced beef, vegetables, cheese and herbs 鈥� piled atop a bed of french fries. Topped with white garlic sauce and green jalape帽o hot sauce. At Midtown Global Market鈥檚 Oasis Grill & Hoyo Sambusa, located in the Taste of the Midtown Global Market booth at the International Bazaar, east wall (Aug. 21-26 only).

29. Sweet Squeakers: White cheddar cheese curds coated in a funnel cake batter, deep fried, and topped with a scoop of fresh lemon whipped cream. Finished with a drizzle of berry sauce. (Vegetarian.) At The Blue Barn, located at West End Market, south of the History & Heritage Center.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

30. Tandoori Chicken Quesaratha: Spiced tandoori chicken layered with a blend of Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese and a mixture of sauteed onions, mixed bell peppers, jalape帽os, corn, cilantro and green chilis. Folded inside paratha bread and griddled on a flat top grill. Served with a side of Holy Land鈥檚 Avocado Cilantro Lime Sauce. At Holy Land, located at the International Bazaar, southeast corner.

31. Timber Twists: A savory mixture of Italian sausage, mozzarella, cream cheese and barbecue rub piped into three large manicotti shells, then wrapped in bacon. Cooked in a wood-fired smoker for an infusion of smoky flavor. Served with a side of Giggles鈥� signature barbecue sauce. At Giggles鈥� Campfire Grill, located on the southeast corner of Lee Avenue and Cooper Street at The North Woods.

Courtesy of Minnesota State Fair

32. Triple Chocolate Mini Donuts: Chocolate mini doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with chocolate icing, and topped with chocolate sprinkles and mini milk chocolate chips. Served in a bucket rimmed with more chocolate icing and sprinkles. (Vegetarian.) At Solem鈥檚 Cheese Curds & Mini Donuts, located on the east side of Underwood Street between Murphy and Lee avenues.

33. Uncrustaburger: A 4-ounce hamburger patty with cheese, pickles and special sauce, sandwiched between two deep-fried peanut butter and grape jelly Uncrustables. At Coasters, located on the southeast corner of Carnes Avenue and Liggett Street.