The State Fair of Texas proudly celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, and to continue the month-long celebration, we have curated a list of Hispanic foods with a State Fair-twist. These concoctions can only be found at the annual 24-day exposition, so make your way to the Most Texan Place on Earth to give them a try! In addition to these sweet and savory Hispanic dishes, find the graphic below to learn more about what the State Fair of Texas has in store for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Deep Fried Arroz con Leche – by Jerome Garza and Denise De la Cruz
Arroz con leche is a typical dessert with a long and delicious history. This dish was passed on by Muslims who brought rice with them to Europe during the eighth century. Arroz con leche found its way to Mexico around the 16th century, with the arrival of Spanish Conquistadors. This delectable dessert quickly spread throughout Latin America, leading to different recipe variations, but at the State Fair of Texas, this dish is comprised of a rice ball with cinnamon that is then coated in crispy puffed rice cereal and sprinkled with powdered vanilla. To top it all off, it is served with vanilla ice cream. Deep Fried Arroz con Leche can be found at Ranchero Deep Fried Love in the Tower Building or on Grand Ave.
Deep Fried Birria Bomb – by Tony and Terry Bednar
Straight from Jalisco, Mexico, this delicious goat meat (originally) has transcended into North America and is now a popular dish. This dish came because of the Columbian exchange when the Spaniards introduced goats to Mexico. This led to an overpopulation of goats, which in turn ate all of the farmers’ crops, causing starvation. During the famine, families had no choice but to resort to eating goat meat. Many different dishes and recipes incorporating this meat have been created, including tacos and quesadillas. Here at the State Fair of Texas, we have the Deep Fried Birria Bomb made of home-styled mashed potatoes, Oaxaca cheese, and of course, birria, that is then perfectly fried to perfection. The Deep Fried Birria Bomb can be found at Tony’s Taco Shop in the Tower Building.
Mexican Bread Pudding (Fried Capirotada) – by Jerome Garza and Denise De la Cruz
Get a sweet and delectable dessert with Ranchero Deep Fried Love’s Fried Capirotada! Discover the flavors of this bread pudding that has cheese, bread, sugar, milk and raisins! This dessert goes back to medieval times in Spain where they used left-over bread and transformed it into a savory dish. While there are many ways of creating Capirotada, the Fried Capirotada here at the State Fair has layers of two types of shredded cheese, syrup, raisins and then fried and drizzled with dulce de leche. Fried Capirotada can be found at Ranchero Deep Fried Love in the Tower Building or on Grand Ave.
Tamale Balls – Steve Velasquez
Tamale Balls, a twist on the traditional tamales that are eaten at family events, celebrations, and holidays, are here at the State Fair of Texas. Tamales were first introduced by Mesoamericans as easy and portable foods for hunters and those going into war. Traditionally, tamales were made with grounded corn wrapped with leaves, and then cooked on a fire, but now, different cultures and countries have created their own version and flavors. Tamale Balls are created with masa (dough), beef, sauce and created into balls to be fried! Find the Tamale Balls at Velasquez Concessions on the Funway or on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Come and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the State Fair of Texas, themed “Explore the Midway”, running until October 22.
By Herminia Becerra-Gomez and Joanna Ugalde