Ex marks the spot: eight culinary innovations at this year’s Canadian National Exhibition (including deep-fried cola)
In the days of yore, people flocked to the Canadian National Exhibition to see the year’s prize cows, pigs and horses. It’s only fitting that in these fallen fast-food times, people now gather round the warm, greasy glow of the deep fryers in the CNE Food Building. Indeed, gawking at the year’s fried fare has become something of an annual tradition, so we headed back to the Ex this year to bring you eight gut-busting indulgences, including this year’s headline grabber: deep-fried Coke cola.
See photos of all eight, along with a readout of our regret-o-meter »
Name: The Krispy Kreme Doughnut Burger
What is it?: Two Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a very generous 6 oz. beef patty, cheese, lettuce and tomato
Tastes like: Someone dipped your burger in maple syrup—without asking
Price: $8 ($1 extra each for egg, bacon strips or cheese)
Where to find it: Epic Burgers and Waffles, CNE Food Building
Regret-o-meter:
(Images: burger, Gizelle Lau; voltmeter, xunil96)
Name: The Behemoth
What is it?: Two Texas grilled cheese sandwiches, an epic 6 oz. beef patty, cheese, lettuce and tomato, plus optional ketchup, mustard and maple syrup (but who could resist?)
Tastes like: A slightly less epic version of the Vatican at the Burger’s Priest; i.e. queasily satisfying and probably the best thing we ate all night
Price: $9 ($1 extra each for egg, bacon strips or cheese)
Where to find it: Epic Burgers and Waffles, CNE Food Building
Regret-o-meter:
Name: Deep-fried fudge (vanilla)
What is it?: A block of chocolate, vanilla or maple syrup fudge deep-fried for one glorious minute and 50 blessed seconds in doughnut batter
Tastes like: Some kind of goop that dripped off the alien from Alien
Price: $5
Where to find it: Northwest Fudge Factory, CNE Food Building
Regret-o-meter:
Name: Deep-fried cola
What is it?: Coca-Cola batter squirted into a deep fryer and served with whipped cream
Tastes like: This year’s buzziest bit of exhibition excess actually tasted like a mild-mannered, Cola-flavoured funnel cake
Price: $5.97
Where to find it: Deep Fried Pop Shop, CNE Food Building
Regret-o-meter:
Name: Deep-fried mac-and-cheese; deep-fried mac-and-curds
What is it?: Crispy fried balls, two ways: macaroni and cheese, and macaroni and cheese curds
Tastes like: Comfort deep-fried and, given some of the other options at the Ex, refreshingly reasonable
Price: $7 for a tray
Where to find them: Mac & Cheesery, CNE Food Building
Regret-o-meter:
Name: Deep-fried s’more; deep-fried Jos. Louis
What is it?: Two of your favourite childhood treats covered in a thick, pogo-style batter and fried within inches of their lives
Tastes like: Exceedingly sweet mush
Price: $5 each
Where to find them: Deep Fried Candy Bars, CNE food building
Regret-o-meter:
Name: Deep-fried cherry Kool-Aid
What is it?: An obvious rival to the deep-fried cola, this is cherry Kool-Aid batter balled up and dropped into the deep fryer
Tastes like: A greasy ball of cherry-flavoured Robitussin, but slightly crunchier on the outside and slightly less narcotic on the inside
Price: $5
Where to find it: Sweet Treats, right across from Sgt. Spatter’s Paintball tent
Regret-o-meter:
Name: Deep-fried butter
What is it?: Last year’s attention grabber, blocks of battered butter tossed into the deep fryer in ball form.
Tastes like: Slurping up the bottom of your bag of movie popcorn (with extra-butter) after yet another disappointing rom-com
Price: $5
Where to find it: Sweet Treats, right across from Sgt. Spatter’s Paintball tent
Regret-o-meter:
Without a doublt the best food at the X is right inside the East entrance of the Food Hall on your left side. Fantastic Fish and Chips they way England used to make them , large portion, hot, lightly battered, fresh healthy style oil daily…and the price for the Fish and Chips and a Coke was $7. and change. So good I went back for another piece of fish on its own…
Fish and Chips does sound good. But what in the hell is “fresh healthy style oil”??
it astounds me that people say the food at the ex is the big attraction
it has sucked for years
you are all in denial
the EX sucks big time
why don’t you post nutritional info for each of these as well?! hmm…
I remember a great indian food place at the ex far better than any of the crap featured in this bogus culinary article. I didn’t know about the fish and chips though if I decide to go I will check that out thanks Tim D.
Seriously!Come on people…FYI:Healthy eating=long life!just a reminder…:)
Kat – People came here for a reason. They want to see what the awesome deep fried treats at the Ex are. They’re not looking for a lecture. Please take it elsewhere and let people enjoy themselves. just a reminder …..:)
The Fish and Chips booth is H.Salt best Quality Fresh cooked in front of you not sitting under the hot lights.
We eat there every year we were there today and will be there next Sunday too
British Foods at The Ex Total ripp-off I am British and would never pay those prices.
Mrs Bridges you know the true value of your goods don’t rip people off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We tried the halibut & chips just inside the east entrance of the Food Building on the left hand side. I believe the place is called American Original Fish & Chips. They were terrible! Way too much batter! If you want good fish & chips, go to Duckworth’s.
Also, we walked by H. Salt Fish & Chips. They had a pile of fish sitting under hot lights. Didn’t look appetizing at all!