It’s the most wonderful time of the year. About 40 days ahead of the 2023 Minnesota State Fair the new food list is here! When it begins on August 24, fairgoers will find five new vendors — MomoDosa, Peachy’s Baking Company, Wow Fudge, Tasti Whip, and Churros & Agua Fresca —and 34 new food items are focused on things that Minnesota and the Midwest do best: pickles, birthday cake, and cheese. Here are 13 of the new foods to anticipate or debate.

Dill Pickle Lemonade and Mini-Donut Paletas
Hamline Church Dining Hall

Paletas are always the coolest of treats to have to indulge the sweetest of tooths. This year the paletas at the Hamline Church Dining Hall are sharing in the State Fair’s affinity for cheese curds, pickles, and mini donuts with their paleta offerings from La Michoacana Rose. The dill pickle lemonade paleta is a lemon-flavored, water-based paleta that includes dill pickle slices, whereas the mini donut paleta is vanilla ice cream with mini donut bits, and a whole cinnamon mini donut inside.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich
Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop

Leaning into Southern sensibilities, Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop highlights the local farm economy by using two deep-fried locally grown green tomato slices in a crust of Whole Grain Milling Co. High Lysine cornmeal, with a mustard mayonnaise made with Lost Capital Economics Coarse Spicy Ale Mustard, and local lettuce on a toasted brioche bun from The Good Bread Company. Two versions will be served up, a BLT version with bacon from Pastures a Plenty & Hidden Stream Farm, and a vegetarian option is served with locally produced charred sweet corn relish.

Cheese Curd Stuffed Pizza Pretzel
Green Mill

Green Mill is taking things to the max with the cheese curd stuffed pizza pretzel. It might read like a Combos flavor, however the indulgence meter is cranked to 10 with a scratch-made jumbo pizza dough pretzel, hand-twisted and stuffed with Ellsworth cheese curds, pepperoni, and a Green Mill blend of Italian spices. Then it’s brushed with garlic butter, and topped with diced pepperoni, herbs, and parmesan cheese. Served with Green Mill pizza sauce on the side, however given the description, one might need to find the nearest bench to have a nap after this one.

Hot Honey Cheese Sticks
Blue Barn

Blue Barn’s twist on the cheese curd offers something that gives a touch of an international spin. Their hot honey cheese sticks consist of fried Halloumi cheese, topped with hot honey and honeycomb crunch. Keeping a good balance on the sweet and savory, these hot honey cheese sticks still find a way to keep things Midwestern while not being overly indulgent.

Cheesecake Curds
Lulu’s Public House

At their core, cheese curds are deliciously simple, which make them a staple menu item at any fair where they may be offered. Lulu’s Public House decides to give it the dessert twist using Eli’s cheesecake pieces, covered in funnel cake batter, then fried and dusted with powdered sugar and salt. Served with strawberry dipping sauce, it keeps the simplicity of the cheese curd, while still managing to be different enough to merit a try if one sees them at the State Fair.

Crispy Lutefisk Steam Bun
Shanghai Henri’s

It’s befuddling that there has yet to be an attempt on lutefisk at the State Fair — recently, anyhow. Well, wonder no more, since Shanghai Henri’s gives an international twist on the otherwise staple Scandinavian novelty, using Olsen Fish Company lutefisk brined in salt water for 12 hours inside a steamed lotus bun, then filled with a blend of cabbage, carrots, cilantro and yum yum sauce, plus covered in sweet hoisin sauce. Afterwards it is baked, and topped with sesame seeds. 

Dill Pickle Cheese Curd Taco
Richie’s Cheese Curd Taco

Throughout this list, one senses the theme of how cheese curds and all things fried are central at this year’s fair. To put that peak Midwestern sensibility into overdrive, just add pickles. The dill pickle cheese curd taco from Richie’s has a fried flour tortilla stuffed with fried white cheddar cheese curds, sandwich stacker dill pickles, cream cheese, lettuce, and topped with a raspberry chipotle sauce. Can it get any more Minnesotan than that? This is definitely the peak of Minnesota maximalism.

Pickle Fries
Mike’s Hamburgers

As if deep-fried pickles were not enough of an innovation when it comes to the Minnesota State Fair, now there’s another option. Mike’s Hamburgers is offering crispy, tangy thin-cut dill pickle fries lightly coated in a cornmeal and seasoned mustard batter. Served with a side of chipotle dipping sauce, it offers the fried pickle in a different iteration that might prove satisfying.

Birthday Cake Mini Donuts
Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds

Treats are inescapable when it comes to the State Fair, but there are still new spins on the familiar to be found. The Mini Donuts & Cheese Curds stand has a small pail of birthday cake-flavored mini donuts, coated with vanilla sugar, drizzled with icing, and dusted with sugar crystals and sprinkles. Whether one is celebrating a birthday, or celebrating something else, throw some candles atop it, blow them out, and feast on it properly.

Smoked Beef Arepa
Midtown Global Market Arepa Bar (Available Aug. 30-Sept. 4)

After having one’s senses attacked by the onslaught of pickles and cheese offered in numerous ways at the State Fair, it might make one clamor and wonder if some actual food can be found at the fair. Fret not, starting August 30, Midtown Global Market’s Arepa Bar is offering the smoked beef arepa, with smoked roast beef, avocado puree, fresh tomatoes, red onions, and arugula, in a baked Venezuelan arepa.

Loaded Lobster Fries
Cafe Caribe

Summer always presents prime opportunities for good seafood, and capitalizing on that, Cafe Caribe’s loaded lobster fries almost play like a poutine sans gravy. Their loaded lobster fries are made by using lobster in garlic and herb butter served on a bed of french fries, then sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning, and topped with bacon, homemade chipotle mayonnaise, green onions, and a lemon wedge. 

Al Taco Baba
Baba’s

Baba’s is not slouching in the least when it comes to their hummus bowls. The now-popular mainstay on the fairgrounds is also on the cusp of a grand opening of their new hummus house and distribution facility on Lyndale Avenue. Their newest offering, the Al Taco Baba, is made using Baba’s traditional hummus, harissa barbacoa, corn, queso fresco, chili dust, shatta (hot sauce), crema, and cilantro, and served with a side of pita puffs for devouring it properly.

Chicken Momo with Tomato Chutney
MomoDosa (Available August 24-29)

After wowing audiences at Midtown Global Market and Malcolm Yards, MomoDosa finally makes its entry as one of the new vendors at the State Fair. A favorite among first-timers and seasoned visitors alike, their chicken momo is made using a blend of ground chicken, cabbage, onion, ginger, and other spices, and steamed in a dough wrapper. Served with tomato chutney, it’s sure to be a good appetizer before venturing to the many other fair offerings.

Need even more? Find the whole list at MPR News.

This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.