Stick It

The Minnesota State Fair opened last Thursday. From now until Labor Day (I think) every loyal son/daughter of the North Star State is more or less expected to attend their Great Annual Get-Together.

DIH attended the fair last year. She thought that would let her off for, say, a decade or two. But apparently no such luck. I will probably have to go again.

Last year we went with Rachel, The State Fair Commando. She had not only mapped out every event she wanted us to hit ( the Butter Portraits were a big draw), she had mapped out every food stand she wanted to try. This is how DIH became acquainted with things like "Pickle-on-a-Stick" and deep fried Twinkies.

The pickle-on-a-stick tasted remarkably similar to your basic pickle-not-on-a-stick, and DIH was mystified as to why it was presented impaled. This is the main reason why I did not try the Pork-Chop-on-a-Stick. I figured that would be a letdown, too.

Before I moved here a former North Star resident told me that Minnesotans will eat anything on a stick. This probably accounts for most of the food served at the State Fair.

It's easy to make fun of this culinary habit. I mean, come on, just look at this year's offerings. Sloppy joes on a stick. Spaghetti on a stick. Key lime pie on a stick. S'mores on a stick, which isn't much of an innovation given that you have to have a stick to make a s'more in the first place.

But DIH will resist the urge to ridicule for the simple reason that she assumes Minnesotans have heard it all before. I imagine being a member of the Tribe That Eats From Sticks is a little like being a Catholic. Every newcomer to the North probably thinks he's being a riot when he says things like "Where's my margarita-on-a-stick?" or "My kabob comes on a stick, right?"
The same way converts think they're being really hilarious when they make Bingo jokes. Do they never ask themselves "Am I really sure they havent' heard this one before?"

So no "stick" jokes.