Indiana State Fair 2019 Taste of the Fair Winners Announced

 (INDIANAPOLIS) After two weeks of fierce culinary competition, the results of the 2019 Indiana State Fair Taste of the Fair have been announced. Of the 16 food vendors who competed, only three are walking away with prestigious bragging rights and cash prizes. Voted on by fairgoers throughout the fair, the 2019 Grand Champion Taste of the Fair title and $2,500 cash prize has been awarded to Relleno de Papa, offered by Jorge and Catherine Pomales of Da Portable Rican.

While the earnings and bragging rights were gratefully received by the Pomales family, offering fairgoers an authentic Puerto Rican dish has always been their true goal. According to Pomales, “That’s our culture, that’s what we’re all about. When we started nine years ago it was like nobody knew what Puerto Rican food was, but the reception has been fantastic here. We just like sharing our recipes and passing them down.”

In addition to our first-place winners, the Taste of the Fair also recognized vendors for second and third place. The second winning dish and prize of $1,000 has been awarded to the Angry Pretzel Poppers with Mad Ranch Sauce, created by J Wilson LLC. And the third winning dish and a prize of $500 has been awarded to the Cajun Queen offered by Bayou Concessions.

Fairgoers cast their votes for the best Taste of the Fair entry via ballots from the Indiana State Fair Information Booths presented by Prairie Farms and by using the QR code found at each booth. With four days left to visit the Great Indiana State Fair, there is still plenty of time to taste test the winning foods of this year’s Taste of the Fair!

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1st Place: Relleno de Papa (Offered by Da Portable Rican)

The Relleno de Papa includes one mashed potato ball filled with seasoned ground beef and fried golden brown. Served with rice, this treat will satisfy the hungriest of fairgoers.

A box of donuts

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2nd Place: “Angry” Pretzel Poppers with “Mad” Ranch Sauce (Offered by J. Wilson Group)

These pretzel poppers feature diced jalapenos mixed in a made-from-scratch dough, then rolled in diced jalapenos. These hotter than hot bites are then baked, buttered and salted. This snack pairs perfectly with a jalapeno ranch dressing.

Food on a table

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3rd Place: Cajun Queen (Offered by Bayou Concessions)

Starting with a bed of jambalaya rice, Bayou Concessions adds 1, 2 or all 3 of their famous meats (blackened chicken, New Orleans steak and Andouille Sausage). Next, they throw in grilled onions, grilled bell peppers, melted sharp cheddar cheese and their homemade hot sauce to top off this tasty platter.

ABOUT THE INDIANA STATE FAIR

The Indiana State Fair is the state’s largest multi-day event celebrating Hoosiers’ spirit and agricultural heritage. These 17 days celebrate Indiana agriculture and promote it to hundreds of thousands of people across Indiana, and beyond. Nationally recognized for offering great entertainment, showcasing youth, interactive agriculture education programs, premier facilities and a variety of unique, fun foods, the Indiana State Fair has been an annual attraction for generations of Hoosiers since 1852. The 2019 Indiana State Fair will be held August 2-18. To pay tribute to the heroism of everyday Hoosiers, this year’s Indiana State Fair theme is HEROES IN THE HEARTLAND presented by Indiana Donor Network. Throughout the 17-day event, the Indiana State Fair will salute Hoosier farmers, first responders, educators, members of the Armed Forces, and many others who keep us safe and make us proud. Additionally, each day during the fair, Marvel Character and DC Comics Superheroes will be highlighted. For more information, visit www.indianastatefair.com.