Today is the first day of summer everyone, and at least here in New York, it looks like it’s going to be hot and sticky.
And as the first day of summer brings on another level of general summer excitement, it also is a harbinger of state fair season in much of the country- which is basically an excuse to deep fry the pants off anything that isn’t nailed down and shove it in your face.
Lots of kids in some parts of the country are still in school despite the first day of summer, but soon vacations will be in full swing and fairgrounds and camping spots will be flush with families seeking to beat the heat and get their summer fun on. And the state fair circuit, as it does every year, has a new deep-fried food for curious American fairgoers to sample.
Why is it that hot summer days seem to portend deep-fried goods in so much of this country? The first day of winter might be a better match for something deep-fried and rich, but why have state fairs not gotten into a gelato or shaved ice rut instead of the enduring trend of deep-fried goodies?
In recent years, we’ve seen deep fried delights such as Kool Aid and even butter , which is basically fat, breaded and fried in fat, but this year’s new deep-fried innovation is pretty bland- cereal.
ABC pulled some reviews of deep-fried cereal, and perhaps not surprisingly, no one else really feels like deep-fried carbs on the first day of summer:
“Now, when I was trying the deep-fried Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the pool of grease in the bottom of the basket made me clutch my heart a little. The doughy ball of greasy cereal wasn’t bad, but it definitely isn’t something I’d go out of my way to buy. Candace called the Trix edition ‘disappointing.’”
Are you celebrating the first day of summer with something deep-fried and greasy?
