Why the fairground is ground zero for food innovation

In 1940, a young midway employee named Sharole Levan had a brainwave on the train journey from the Western provinces to the CNE: to top her breakfast waffles with cold vanilla ice cream. When the Conklin Carnival train steamed into Toronto, the iconic "Ice Cream Waffle" was born, and soon spread to fairgrounds worldwide.

The CNE's vast culinary contributions didn't begin there though. Since opening its doors in 1879, the fair focused on what have now become traditional treats, like cotton candy (formerly known as "fairy floss"),  while looking to the future with edible innovations as well.

To this day, fairground foods keep up that tradition of novelty, while staying portable enough to carry in one hand while flying up the ferris wheel or playing to win that big, plushy prize. This year, the Toronto Café Eative has set up a booth offering "Dragon Breath Crêpes", which are ice-cream filled crêpes dipped in liquid nitrogen. The process creates a spectacular "smoke-breathing" effect in eaters of the treat.

Sometimes, wow factor fades into fear factor. Humber College prof and carnival food mad genius Mark Jackecki runs the entomologically-themed Bug Bistro at this year's fair, which serves up creepy-crawlie infused dishes like a  Beetlejuice Smoothie, Bug Dogs, and a Crickety-Lime Pie! The crickets, mealworms, and other critters are supplied by Entomo Farms.

The deep-fryer is a natural home to many foods on and off the fairgrounds, but one of the classic CNE strategies is to simply to dream up new things to chuck into a bath of boiling oil.  This year, Farm to Fryer in the Food Building leads the way with their battered cheese-stuffed Doritos, a Mac-and-Cheese Chimichanga, frog legs, and cod tongues.

But this stand doesn't have a monopoly on sizzling novelties; 2017's exhibition-goers can also try out deep-fried versions of: chicken feet, ice cream, spaghetti balls, peanut butter sriracha bites from Fran's and King of Curds deep fried cheese-curds.

Though the combo of innovation and portability is common to midway food across the world, each great Exhibition also brings it's own local twist, and the Canadian National Exhibition, has more than its fair share of Canadian-themed cuisine on offer. These range from traditional dishes like peameal bacon, poutine, and Montreal smoked meat, to trendier selections, like Bacon Nation's Pig Mac on a bright red bun inspired by Canada's 150th.

The 2017 CNE also held its first ever East Coast Kitchen Party on opening weekend, featuring food, drink and entertainment fresh out of  the maritime provinces. Guests could get "screeched in" Newfoundland-style, and could grab some East Coast eats from participating food trucks, and sip on a craft beer or wine from the East coast, all while tapping their feet to some East Coast fiddle music. 

And if you're still not full after a diet of decadent bites, the fair has tons of different booths devoted to over-the-top sweet treats.

Of course, all good fairgrounds are hubs of sugary, oily innovation, and one of their gastronomical experiments will go on, like the mighty corn dog, to conquer the world. Others, meanwhile, will join the compost heap of snack history. The CNE is a great chance for Canadians to eat it before it's famous, or to get it while it lasts.