Monday, Jul. 25, 2011
Corn Dogs
While hot dogs vastly predate state fairs — some historical records point to sausage-in-bun treats as early as the 1200s — corn dogs are a distinctly American creation. By encasing a simple wiener in a thick layer of deep fried cornmeal batter, a state fair staple was born: easy to handle on a stick and fatty enough compete with even the most frightening heart-stoppers. Although competitors have arisen in recent years, few can compete with this American classic (we're looking at you pretzel dogs and bagel dogs). And unlike those pretenders to the throne of wiener supremacy, the corn dog even has its own national holiday, coinciding with the first Saturday of each year's NCAA basketball tournament.