The Big E is a big New England-wide fair held in West Springfield, MA.  It’s huge and if you live in New England you’re probably familar.  Dave over at Dave’s Cupboard recently went and tried a bunch of stuff I didn’t, so go check out his post, too.  In lieu of doing a bunch of typing for this post I will let some pictures do the talking for a change.

Strawberry milk from the Dairy Bar.  I think this used to be $1 but it’s more now.  Tasty, much better than the chocolate variety which tasted chalky and chemical-ish.  Over by the building with the sheep and cows.

Free samples at Emilee’s Italian Ice.  Good flavor on the mango but not mind-blowing.

This is where Pez comes after it is harvested.

Steamed burger at Rosco’s Big Dog.  My first experience with a steamed burger, but I liked it well enough.  We’ll be back to Rosco’s.

My favorite item at the Big E year after year.  Apple cider slush, intensely sweet, sour, and cold.  Like slurping on the most vibrant apple flavor you can imagine.  Very reasonable price for a small and a small is enough to split between two people easily.

Swedish pancake.  Tastes like rubbery, sweet, baked eggs, somewhere between scrambled and custard-y.  That sounds gross but it’s good, I get one every year.

Back to Rosco’s.  Dog with chili and cheese.  The hotdogs themselves are probably the best I’ve ever had, they are very firm with a distinct snap as you bite into them.  The cheese and sauce are fine but I’ve had better, next time I may just go for a plain dog with onion and relish.  Still probably my favorite hotdog joint in CT.

Fried cheese curds.  Ridiculous in simplicity and extravagance.  The curds are chewy and slightly melted, very salty.  Comes with a little saucer of ranch to dip them in, a substance usually a cause for revulsion but for some reason makes sense in this context.

A slice from American Flatbread.  Ok, but not remarkable.  I probably could have found something more typical on the midway for half the price which would have been just as satisfying.

I tend to think raspberries are pretty overrated as far as berries go but these were really nice, and the golden ones did have a pretty distinct flavor from the typical red ones.

Finally, an excellent representation of how you will probably feel after a day of eating at the Big E:

The Big E

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