Always Fun New Food Items to Try at the Indiana State Fair

Heather Tallman-ADAI

Planning a trip to the Indiana State Fair? Then you’re probably planning on some of your traditional favorite food items available there. But the state fair has a propensity to offer new, even exotic menu choices each year. One example is adding bacon to macaroni and cheese, and that’s being served by none other than the Indiana Pork producers.

“We introduced macaroni and cheese as a side item at the 2019 state fair, and sold a ton of it,” explained Jeannette Merritt with Indiana Pork. “So, as we were planning for the 2020 state fair and then pushed it off to this year for 2021, we thought that adding bacon would make it better. It is a delicious item and we’re excited to have people come and try it. Bacon makes everything better, even macaroni and cheese.”

At the Dairy Bar hosted by Indiana dairy farmers, Heather Tallman says there are new ice cream, milk shake and grilled cheese options.

“Starting this year we have the chocolate, cherry funk, and that is a great ice cream if you like fresh cherries and you like chocolate chunks. Then that’s the one for you, and you can get that at the hand dipped window,” she told HAT. “Also we have a shake this year that’s like a frozen mocha and that’s very, very good. And also we have the grilled cheese and every year there’s a featured grilled cheese that you can try that’s very different. This year it’s the buttermilk wafflewich.”

On that unique sandwich you’ll get two buttermilk waffles and the cheeses inside are American and cheddar.

Merritt, also a state fair board member, says there are other new items throughout the fairgrounds.

“One of my favorites is a Cuban sandwich made by a Cuban food booth, and that includes ham, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles on a grilled bun,” she said. “I had the opportunity to try some cinna-minis, I think they’re like deep-fried elephant ear balls with some cream cheese on it. They were delicious. I know they were not waist-friendly but really good.”

She recommends trying $3 Thursdays where you can try sample sized portions in many locations at the Indiana State Fair. By the way the pork producers will offer the traditional favorites of pork burgers, pork chops and pulled pork sandwiches at their three tents near the cattle barn, swine barn and Pioneer Village.

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