The Ohio State Fair Debuts A Baffling Dessert
This is the oddest version of deviled eggs we've seen yet.
Being the Midwestern publication that we are, The Takeout is fascinated by regional state fairs and the culinary creations they inspire. This year's upcoming state fairs in Minnesota and Iowa already have our attention (lutefisk steamed bun, anyone?), but the Ohio State Fair opens tomorrow, and its newest fare was recently announced. Of the 16 new foods debuting at this year's event, one item on the list that might take the cake for the most unexpected of the summer.
Sweet deviled eggs? Why?·
I'm just going to come straight out and say it: The Ohio Poultry Association is serving sweet deviled eggs at its Devilishly Good Food stand this year. Chocolate deviled eggs, s'mores deviled eggs, lemon meringue deviled eggs, and cotton candy deviled eggs, to be precise.
You read all of that correctly. And in case you think the confection simply looks like eggs, remember, this is the poultry association we're talking about. No foolin' with eggs here. The lemon meringue eggs made their debut at the fair in 2022, and apparently they were enough of a success that the lineup has been expanded to include other sweet flavors. Chocolate deviled eggs appeared briefly on the scene in 2019, before the fair was shuttered for two years by COVID.
You can check out a photo of the chocolate deviled egg at 614 Now, a Columbus-area publication, and grab the recipe here.
The Ohio Poultry Association has had this recipe in its back pocket for a long time now, even before the 2019 fair debut. It posted a video tutorial for making the chocolate deviled eggs to its official YouTube channel seven years ago.
The ingredients that compose the filling are egg yolks, cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt. (Thank God there's no mayo involved.) I hate to say it, but even with the festive sprinkles on top, the final result resembles more of a certain smiling brown emoji than a classic deviled egg. I guess some of the best-tasting food isn't necessarily the prettiest.
The lemon meringue deviled egg sounds like the most likely hit among fair attendees. Not only does it have an existing track record, but lemon curd is composed primarily of egg yolks, so transforming an egg with this already eggy ingredient seems like a natural extension of the deviled egg universe.
Other new and returning foods at the Ohio State Fair
The rest of the Ohio State Fair food lineup sounds pretty standard, as far as these events go. There will be elephant ears, funnel cake, corn dogs, sandwiches, fries, sausages, and more. But if you're a fan of Flamin' Hot Cheetos (guilty as charged), the Dickerson and Kenna stand will be selling a Flamin' Hot Cheeto burger. The idea sounds downright tame compared to a s'mores deviled egg, but nobody says you can't eat both in one trip to the fairgrounds.
How do you feel about sweet deviled eggs? And most importantly, would you pay to try them? The fair runs from July 26 to August 6 this year, if you're curious enough to plan a road trip.