It’s Stampede season and once again the midway is fired up with all foods deep fried on a stick.

If you can imagine it, it is here, there are 26 new foods to try on the Calgary Stampede Midway and this week I lined up with judges media, celebrity, culinary, and athlete to judge the best.

We ate all the food on the Calgary Stampede Midway so you don’t have to. From deep-fried cheese to deep-fried cheese (seriously, we tried 4 different types of deep-fried cheese), we tasted things on sticks and without to see what sticks out.

Here are 5 new foods you need to eat on the Calgary Stampede midway this year:

1. Dulce Mini-Donut Pop – $5

This gorgeous little treat tied for Best New Food at the Calgary Stampede this year. Made by local company Family Freezed, this little mini-donut pop is to die for. It’s a cinnamony sweet dulce de leche ice cream with a whole mini donut frozen right in. The forecast is for a scorching hot start to the fair and this treat is absolutely wonderful.

2. Empanda Chaat – $9

The Naaco Food Truck brings it every year to the Calgary Stampede. This is real food. Fresh, crisp, and bright, this is a chance for you to eat some Stampede fare without feeling like you’re eating at a fair. This is another best in show winner, tying for Best New Food. The best of Mexico and India in one tight little samosa / empanada pocket. You’ll get 2 for $9 and you’ll love them.

3. Dragon Dog – $100

Yes, this is a $100 hot dog. And it’s worth it. It’s a full foot long bratwurst infused with Louis XIII cognac. Doug from Dougiedog brags the bottle is worth $3000 and there’s $30 worth of booze in each dog. It’s then smothered in Kobe beef (there is debate it is likely wagyu beef), cooked in truffle oil, topped with fresh lobster tail, butter, garlic, and topped with more truffles.

Grab 3 or 4 or 5 friends, pool your money and have a couple of inches each. It’s got a little bit of bite to it and it tastes really really good.

4. Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich – $13

This is the real deal. It’s a marriage between Schwartz’s Deli and Dunn’s. It is straight up legit Montreal Smoked Meat, the rye bread is perfection and it’s simply served with mustard and a pickle. You can go out of your way to find crazy new food at the Calgary Stampede, or you can seek out classics. This is classic. It’s excellent. It’s a great meal while you walk around.

5. Jalapeno Poutine Mini Donut Bowl – $6

When it was served to me, I turned to the chef next to me and said “this is going to be gross, isn’t it?” He nodded. Then I had a bite. And you know what? It’s not terrible. I know that is hardly a ringing endorsement, but this is the kind of thing you need at a fair. After a long night in Nashville North, you stumble out and grab yourself .. mini donut poutine. You may not appreciate it the next day, but you’ll love it in the moment.

Honorable Mentions

There were 13 new foods at the Calgary Stampede we tried and some others worth seeking out on the midway include the Peanut Butter Kebab, Crazy Cone, and the Cactus Burger.

The Peanut Butter Kebab is a deep fried peanut butter sandwich. They used a tempura batter so if you get a lot of crust it kind of tastes like fish and chips. Go into the center of the sandwich and it’s just fine.

The Crazy Cone is a J shaped cone made out of corn and then filled with ice cream. It’s gluten free and lactose free and tastes like Corn Pops and ice cream.

The Cactus Burger is a nice treat on the midway for vegetarians. Cactus leaf itself doesnt have much of a taste so the burger is piled with peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and black beans. It’s a garden on a bun and a great veggie burger.

Congratulations again to the Naaco Truck crew and Family Freezed, both previous Best Stampede Food winners. Naaco won best new food in 2012, and Family Squeezed won best new drink in 2014!

So there you have it, some of the best new food options on the Calgary Stampede Midway. I’d love to hear your favorite fair fare!