The Big E: The Crazy New Foods I’m Most Excited About This Year

If you need me in mid-September, you’ll probably find me passed out in a ditch at The Big E with fried deviled eggs in one hand and a cotton candy margarita in the other. The only way to revive me is with an Iced Coffee Glazed Donut Float.

It’s that magical time of year when the bravest among us take a random Tuesday off to storm the gates of West Springfield and battle the mythical food hydra known as “Big E.”

You can try to fight it all you want by cutting off one of its food heads, but every time you do that, two more wild food items will appear in its place.

The only way to win is to go home and eat a salad.

Nevertheless, we march on, navigating through the asphalt labyrinth of the exhibition grounds and trying to discover all the culinary wonders that await us there.

The big E is still a little way off, but we’ve taken a look at some of the new foods and gotten a few hints as to what will be available when the doors open on September 13.

Here’s a rundown of the foods I’m most looking forward to at this year’s Big E:

The (new) Craz-E Burger | Now at The Emporium | At the Better Living Center

The original Craz-E Burger was one of the first in the recent wave of “crazy” dishes at the fair. But as other dishes at the fair have gotten wilder over the years, it became a bit underwhelming in comparison.

That’s why I’m so excited that The Big E is putting a new spin on one of his signature dishes and moving it to a new location.

The new Craz-E Burger is a meat monster consisting of a smash burger with cheese, bacon and onion rings. Instead of a halved donut, this new version contains two donuts.

One bite is an avalanche of flavors, from savory to sweet with a salty twist. You get countless layers of protein and carbohydrates. It’s like a rainbow of cheeseburgers and donuts.

If that’s not enough for you, there’s also an “Insanity”-level Craz-E Burger. There’s also a version rolled in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Cornbread Sundae | From Moolicious | On Springfield Road and West Road

This sounds crazy at first. But once you try it, you’ll realize that it makes perfect and delicious sense.

The sundae starts with a piece of cornbread topped with sweet corn ice cream, whipped cream, hot honey and corn pops cereal.

It has multiple layers of gentle sweetness and builds on the same flavor motif. In simpler terms, it tastes a lot like Corn Pops cereal milk.

This is a brilliant idea. I fully expect others to start stealing it.

Empanada Tacos | From Macho Taco | On Commonwealth Ave.

There are many taco spin-offs, and this one is at the top of my list.

Here you get a pair of sliced ​​empanadas filled with lettuce, lime aioli and pico de gallo.

It combines the hearty and crunchy goodness of an empanada with the fresh, spicy taste of tacos.

Grilled Cheese with Pulled Pork and Apple Cider | From Sam Adams Beer Garden | On Avenue of States

Grilled cheese with pulled pork? Sounds great.

But the addition of an apple cider glaze and fresh apples takes things even further, adding a wonderfully sweet flavor to the savory and spicy elements.

Pork chops and applesauce go well together, so it makes sense that this sandwich would work.

The Moo Bomb | By Moolicious | On Springfield Road and West Road

That’s right: Moolicious has two new ice cream creations that I’m looking forward to.

A chaotic and colorful mix of candy-like elements, the Moo Bomb is a waffle-shaped soft serve ice cream sundae covered in a magical blue raspberry shell.

There were also plenty of sundae toppings hidden under the ice cream, making the whole thing a fun treasure hunt for all the goodies hidden inside.

This is one of those unique dishes that is as delicious as it is fun to eat.

I haven’t tried the food yet, but I’m excited to get to know it.

Everything up to this point I was able to check out at a sneak peek event at The Big E. That’s not all that was revealed, though.

These are the foods I’ll be looking out for when the gates open on September 13th:

Fried Deviled Eggs | From The Deviled Egg | On East Road

I tried some of the special deviled eggs here. They were wonderful, especially the loaded baked potato and pulled pork varieties.

But then I heard they also serve fried versions of their deviled eggs. I didn’t realize how much I needed that in my life.

Margaritas with cotton candy topping | From the Cantina | At the Better Living Center

This is the kind of margarita innovation we need in this country. For too long, Bloody Marys have dominated the alcoholic beverage market with decadent ingredients.

I demand more crazy margaritas. Next year I want to see a margarita with a pop rocks rim, garnished with a candied apple and a slice of watermelon.

Quad Father Burger | By White Hut | In the food court

White Hut makes great burgers. But they’ve always been on the small side, which is why I’m so excited to see them build this carnivorous skyscraper for the convention, with cheeseburger patties, four strips of bacon, pickles, house sauce, and their fried onions.

Pickle Juice | From Veggie Patch | On Commonwealth Ave.

Pickle juice. No, really, that’s all I have. Those two words were the only information The Big E sent out on this.

Is this just juice from a jar? Do they do something with it? I need to know more about it. I’ll report back after I try it at The Big E.

Fried Ice Cream Sandwich | By Deluca Family Foods | On New England Ave.

Deluca Family Foods does a great job here by offering another fried version of a classic dish. I expect the flavor combination here to be strong.

Tater Tots with “Jackalope Sausage” | from International Lobster House | On West Road

To be clear, jackalopes don’t actually exist. Yes, I had to google it to confirm. For a moment, I thought I was going crazy.

According to my three minutes of research, Jackalope Sausage is a sausage made from antelope, rabbit and pork. I’m curious to see how it goes with potato pancakes.

Donut Float with Iced Coffee Glaze | From Fluffy’s Hand-Cut Donuts | On New England Ave

This sounds like the perfect drink if you need a caffeine boost but don’t want to interrupt your hedonistic sugar rush during the fair.

Here we have an iced coffee with a so-called “donut rim” as well as vanilla ice cream and a donut hole.

If we’re honest, there are people whose orders at Dunkin’ and Starbucks contain more sugar than these.

Pickle Fries with Cheese and Sauce | By Pickle Fries | On East Road

I’m not 100% convinced this is real. It sounds like something you’d make up while joking about crazy foods you find at a fair.

There is no reason to believe that this mishmash is good or even safe to eat.

It is my job to carry this burden for the people. If I faint after eating, please roll me out of the way of pedestrians.