Pickles are having their moment in the spotlight at the Iowa State Fair

Dill pickles, whether spears or chopped, alone or in a beer, taking a starring role on a dish or served on a stick, are having a moment at the Iowa State Fair.

The trend, driven by Gen Z, is already trickling down to grocery store aisles, where pickle flavors everything from popcorn to ice cream. While pickles have always had a role at the State Fair, the pandemic encouraged homebound folks to start doing more to be self-sustainable, from baking sourdough bread to pickling vegetables for shelf-stable foods.

Then the girl dinner trend and hot pickle challenges hit social media last summer, and briny pickles were bound to grow in popularity, Food Manufacturing magazine reported. By the end of 2023, GrubHub reported an 89% increase in pickle orders.

Where to find pickle-flavored dishes at the Iowa State Fair

Dill pickle-flavored cheese curds: Last year saw the introduction of dill pickle-flavored cheese curds, a new dish from Brad & Harry’s Cheese Curds just west of the Jacobson Exhibition Center. The taste of pickles accompanies each squeaky bite of fried curds. Buy them for $9 or $24 for a bucket. Duke’s Poutine near the Varied Industries Building has them for $9 as well.

Deep-fried pickles: Stop by Arnold’s Concessions Brat Haus southwest of the Livestock Pavilion on Rock Island Avenue to a true State Fair treat — the deep-fried pickle for $8. Get one for $7 at Fyfe’s State Fair Grinders & Pizza Bread on the south side of the walk on the Triangle.

Crunchy Cool Ranch pickle spears: Fair favorite Grater Taters introduced the world to its crunchy Cool Ranch pickle spears at the 2023 Iowa State Fair for $7. Yes, they are delightful dipped in ranch dressing,

Pickle on a stick: You can go simple with a pickle on a stick for $3 at Hagar’s Hoagies west of the Jacobson Exhibition Center, or make it a sriracha pickle for $1 more.

Pickle Dawg: Go for an Iowa staple at potlucks and barbecues – the Pickle Dawg with a pickle spear rolled in cream cheese and wrapped in ham. Get it cold or deep fried for $7 or $8 respectively as Pickle Dawgs & Footlongs at the Varied Industries Building or on the north side of the Triangle.

Pickle Tickle and Dr. Pickle: Pickle even finds a home in beers, with Barntown serving its Pickle Tickle at JR’s SouthPork Ranch west of the Livestock Pavilion, or a 24-ounce Dr. Pickle for $6. Yes, that’s a Dr Pepper with pickles, a TikTok trend from May that had everyone ordering them at the drive-thru.

Bacon pickle mac n' cheese: The restaurant even has bacon pickle mac n’ cheese, with a healthy dose of chopped pickles adorning the top of the dish, almost dominating the flavors. Pay $7 for a regular order or $13 for a double.Walk up the hill near the MidAmerican Stage to find The Bird’s Nest and its loaded pickle fries for $15.

Garlic ranch pickle pizza: Another new dish for 2024 — the garlic ranch pickle pizza for $7. There’s no marinara, swapped out for a garlicky ranch and coins of pickles on top. Find it at Leimon’s Pizzeria on the west side of the Swine Barn, on the east side of the Varied Industries Building, or on the Triangle. The Depot west of the Varied Industries Building has a straight up pickle pizza for $6.

Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where to find pickle dishes at the Iowa State Fair