It's 7:30 am -- TIme for a Corn Dog!

Photo courtesy Minnesota State Fair

It's here! That's right, the Minnesota State Fair is once again open for business. I saw the photos of all you hard-core fair-goers standing outside at 6 am. Some of you must be looking for breakfast by now (or, like me, are busy planning their itineraries for tomorrow or future days), so if looking for some new breakfast food-on-a-stick options -- start your Food Challenge off in style! -- this brand-new breakfast sandwich corndog should do the trick. It's available from Hansen's Foods on Judson Avenue, and is described as a "breakfast sausage link dipped in pancake batter, deep-fried and served with a side of maple syrup." Eat up; after all, the State Fair only comes 12 days a year. Enjoy it while you can.

See you at the Fair!

2013 Fair Food Challenge

Photo: Spaghetti Eddie's super sticks (pepperoni and cheese battered and fried; photo courtesy Minnesota State Fair)

Food on a stick: it's the fair's ultimate cliche. The way people talk about it, you'd think that you can't even buy a cup of coffee without the cup somehow perilously perched on the end of skewer. But, stereotype of not, we all know that food on a stick IS the ultimate fair food. And the numbers are now there to prove it. In 2012, the Minnesota State Fair Foundation reported that of 500 food types available at the fair, an amazing 70 of them came served on a stick! 

And that, dear hungry reader, brings us to our 2013 Fair Food Challenge. How many foods on a stick can YOU eat during the 2013 Minnesota State Fair? Are you the type to stick to the tried-and-true classics, or will you be chasing the newest exotic food-on-a-stick offerings? I can't promise a prize, but let me know how many different types of food-on-a-stick you manage this fair season (no need to do all 70 in one day!) and you can at least get some public bragging rights.

And yes, I know it's only April -- I'm issuing this challenge now so that you have time to plan your dining schedules and stretch out those stomach muscles. Just don't blame me if you find that your training sessions also lead to the need to stretch out your waistbands. 

See you at the fair!