From deep-fried Oreo cookies to the more traditional Elephant Ears, the Saskatoon Exhibition has built a reputation on serving up gastronomically outrageous foods.

This year, a major culinary attraction is Granny’s Oldies and Goodies, a food truck which serves everything from deep-fried shortcakes and cheesecakes to a small platter of battered-covered Oreo cookies. 

Anything deep-fried tastes like “heaven,” said Carmen Saiad, who has been travelling with the food truck since July when Granny’s was serving up goodies at the Calgary Stampede.

To make a deep fried cheesecake, one of Granny’s most popular items, Saiad said they wrap a small piece of cake in a pastry and then dunk it in a hot vat of oil.

“It’s not too rich. It’s the perfect amount of cinnamon on top. It’s crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside,” she said.

Granny’s other in-demand item is the deep-fried Oreo cookie, which Saiad describes as the offspring of a chocolate biscuit and cake.

“It has a good kick,” said Saiad.

But if the combination of fried dough and sweet pastry doesn’t exactly whet your appetite, the Exhibition also offers an array of sub-zero temperature desserts, including wet paint flavoured ice cream.

“It tastes like bubble gum and vanilla with a raspberry swirl,” said Michael Mackenzie with Utterly Bovine, which sells 80 flavours of ice cream.

Despite the variety, however, Mackenzie said he personally prefers the raspberry cheesecake flavoured ice cream.

“I’m more of a traditional guy,” he said.

And for those like Mackenzie who don’t want to wander too far off the beaten path, fairgoers can also take a big bite out of an Elephant Ear, a hand stretched piece of dough that’s deep fried for a couple of minutes until it morphs into a golden disc.

“It’s like butter and cinnamon on toast in the morning,” said Rachel Velazquez, who has been making Elephant Ears since the Exhibition opened on Tuesday.

Velazquez said they offer five different toppings including: cinnamon sugar, chocolate, caramel and apple.

To learn more about the Saskatoon Exhibition, visit their website. 

The last day of the Ex is Sunday.

fsuen@rawlco.com

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