The Big E: The crazy new foods I’m most excited about this year

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

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

You can try to fight it all you want by chopping off one of its food heads. But every time you do, two more wild foods appear in its place.

The only way to victory is by retreating to your home and eating a salad.

Still, we march on, navigating the fairground’s asphalt labyrinth, trying to find all the culinary wonders that await inside.

The Big E is still a little ways off. But we’ve had a peek at some of the new foods in person and gotten some hints about what will be available when gates open on Sept. 13.

Here’s a rundown of the foods I’m most excited about at this year’s Big E:

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

The original Craz-E Burger was one of the first in the recent wave of “crazy” foods at the fair. But with other foods at the fair getting wilder over the years, it became a bit overwhelming in comparison.

So I’m pumped to see that The Big E is putting a fresh spin on one of its signature foods and moving it to a new location.

The new Craz-E Burger is a meat monstrosity that features a smash burger topped with cheese, bacon, and onion rings. Instead of one doughnut split in half, this new version comes with two doughnuts.

One bite is an avalanche of flavors ranging from savory to sweet with bits of salty in there. You get myriad layers of protein and carbs. It’s like a rainbow made of cheeseburgers and doughnuts.

If that’s not enough for you, there will also be 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 one sounds crazy at first. But once you try it, you’ll realize it makes perfect, delicious sense.

The sundae starts with a piece of cornbread that’s topped with sweet corn ice cream, whipped cream, hot honey, and Corn Pops cereal.

It hits on multiple layers of mellow sweetness, building on the same flavor motif. To put it in simpler terms, it tastes a lot like Corn Pops cereal milk.

This is a genius idea. I fully expect other places to start stealing it.

Empanada Tacos | From Macho Taco | On Commonwealth Ave.

There are a lot of taco spin-offs out there. This one quickly jumps to the top of my list.

Here, you get a pair of empanadas that are split open and filled with lettuce, lime aioli, and pico de Gallo.

It takes all the savory, crunchy goodness of an empanada and combines it with the bright, tangy flavors you can find in tacos.

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

Pulled pork grilled cheese? Sounds awesome.

But this thing gets taken to another level with the inclusion of an apple cider glaze and fresh apples. It adds a wondrously sweet flavor to the savory and tangy elements.

Pork chops and applesauce go together. So it makes some sense that this sandwich works.

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

That’s right: Moolicious has two new ice cream creations that I’m pumped about.

The Moo Bomb is a chaotic and colorful concoction of candy-like elements. It’s a waffle cone soft-serve sundae covered in a blue raspberry magic shell.

It also had loads of sundae toppings hidden underneath the ice cream, turning it into a fun treasure hunt for all the goodies hidden inside.

This is one of those unique foods that’s as delicious as it is fun to eat.

Food I haven’t tried yet, but I’m excited to see.

Everything to this point is something I got to try during a sneak peek event at The Big E. However, that’s not everything that’s been revealed.

Here are the foods I’ll be on the hunt for when the gates open Sept 13:

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

I tried some of the specialty deviled eggs here. They were wonderful, especially the “loaded baked potato” and “pulled pork” versions.

But then I heard they also serve deep-fried versions of their deviled eggs. I didn’t know how badly I needed this in my life.

Cotton Candy-Topped Margaritas | From The Cantina | In the Better Living Center

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

I demand more crazy margaritas. Next year, I want to see a margarita with a Pop Rocks rim topped with a candied apple and a slice of watermelon.

Quad Father Burger | From White Hut | In the Food Court

White Hut makes great burgers. But they’ve always been a little on the smaller side. That’s why I’m so excited to see them making this carnivorous skyscraper for the fair, featuring 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 got. Those two words were the only information The Big E sent out about this.

Is it just juice from a jar? Do they do something with it? I need to know more. I will report back when I try it at The Big E.

Deep-Fried Ice Cream Sandwich | From Deluca Family Foods | On New England Ave.

Deluca Family Foods is doing good work here by adding another deep-fried version of a classic food. I’m expecting the combination of flavors to be strong here.

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

To be clear, jackalopes are not real. Yes, I had to Google it to confirm. I thought I was going crazy for a moment.

According to the three minutes of research I’ve done, “Jackalope Sausage” is a sausage made from antelope, rabbit and pork. I’m curious to see how it goes with tater tots.

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

This sounds like the perfect drink to get when you need a caffeine boost but don’t want to stop your hedonistic sugar rampage through the fair.

Here, we’ve got an iced coffee with something called a “doughnut rim” along with vanilla ice cream and a doughnut hole.

If we’re being honest, there are people out there whose Dunkin’ and Starbucks orders have more sugar than this.

Pickle Fries with Cheeze n’ Gravy | From Pickle Fries | On East Road

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

There is no reason to think this mishmash would be good — or even safe to eat.

It has come down to me to bear this burden for the people. If I pass out after eating it, please roll me out of the way of foot traffic.

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