The Unique Fair Food You Can Only Find In Canada
When the fair comes to town in the U.S., so do the most beautifully strange (and often dangerously deep-fried) eats. For example, Alaska's State Fair has made lovers of the sweet and salty's wildest dreams come true by selling donut burgers (per Anchorage Daily News). And it would be a crime not to mention that Wisconsin's fair offers the truly daring a chance to eat a Gator Claw On-a-Stick (via the Wisconsin State Fair). But, sorry, funnel cake enthusiasts, what may very well be the most iconic fair food on the market is one you can't find under the red, white, and blue.
For this, we turn to Canada. As it turns out, our northern friend known for moose and maple syrup held the first-ever state fair in North America back in 1765 (per Minot Daily News). So it has just as much, if not more of a right, to boast about its unique fair food (like maple-flavored cotton candy and butter tarts per Cottage Life) as the United States does. Matador Network reports that one of Canada's fair foods is so recognizable that President Obama had to have it when he visited the country in 2009.
BeaverTails are a Canadian fair food classic
Beavers are notoriously Canadian, and so is eating a sweet treat inspired by them. Sometimes referred to as queues de castor, the tasty dessert we're talking about is none other than the country's famous BeaverTails (per Atlas Obscura).
As Matador Network reports, this Canadian fair food favorite is a fried piece of flattened dough that looks like a beaver's tail. These treats were first dusted with cinnamon and sugar. However, the BeaverTails of today have become a lot more innovative. As seen on the brand's website, Canadian fairgoers can now get their favorite pastry with spreads like chocolate, hazelnut, and cheesecake.
While these desserts got their start at and are most often associated with the fair, Canadians clearly love the treat too much only to be able to enjoy it on fairgrounds. BeaverTails reports that since it was introduced in 1978, the company has sold enough of the dessert to form a following of fans across Canada. The brand had 140 permanent locations throughout the globe by 2018. But the real question is, even though you can't find it at a U.S. fair, are there any BeaverTail stands in America?
How to catch a BeaverTail
BeaverTails does have U.S. locations. However, if you don't live near Dollywood or Salt Lake City, you'll have to settle for making a DIY version at home. Luckily, Allrecipes has a recipe that a BeaverTails enthusiast created. And she claims that her take on the treat is so authentic that she and her friends stopped going to their closest stand to enjoy the dessert.
As the outlet reports, to make this Canadian delicacy in your own kitchen, you only have to gather active dry yeast, eggs, milk, wheat flour, vegetable oil, water, vanilla abstract, sugar, and salt. Combine these ingredients and form your dough with any other dough-based recipe. However, to shape your dessert, Allrecipes instructs you to flatten your dough after it forms. Then, you should rip roughly egg-sized pieces from your base and mold them into ¼-inch thick ovals. Before you know it, your homemade BeaverTails will be ready to fry.
As for toppings, you can mix cinnamon and sugar if you want to try an original BeaverTail. Of course, you can also spread the dessert with chocolate, Nutella, icing, or berries. But after you dress it, you'll be able to dig into a treat that will make you wonder why you couldn't have been born in Canada.