The Elvis grilled cheese and other bizarre CNE junk food
Exhibition tries to rebound after cronut crisis of last summer
The Canadian National Exhibition is back in Toronto with another round of extraordinary junk food combinations in 2014.
This year, the CNE will try to shake the reputation its food terminals earned last summer with the cronut burger. That culinary creation — a croissant/donut bun with beef patty and maple bacon sauce — caused approximately 200 people to get sick. The vendor was closed down, as were suppliers of the maple bacon jam topping that health officials said caused the sickness.
"We already thought they were adequate, but we changed up our procedures that have to do with the off-site preparation, transportation and storage of food," said David Bednar, general manager of the CNE.
Regardless of the new safety provisions, Toronto Public Health will be on hand opening day with 20 inspectors.
Some of the more notable foodstuffs this year include:
- Deep-fried chocolate chicken
- Chocolate ketchup
- Liquid nitrogen gelato
- Thanksgiving waffle
- Brownie cheesecake milkshake
- Butter coffee
- Bacon-wrapped corn
- Spicy peanut butter Sriracha rolls
- Elvis Presley-inspired peanut butter bacon grilled cheese
- S'More bao, an Asian bun with marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker
- Crobar, a croissant mixed with a chocolate bar
- Bacon-wrapped Coca-Cola chicken
The CNE runs Aug. 15 to Sept. 1.