🕒 5 min read

Ice cream waffle sandwiches. Tiny Tom donuts. Ninety-nine cent spaghetti. Roasted corn on the cob. Deep-fried chocolate bars.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE, aka The Ex) is known for its iconic food as much as the rides and events. Between the international fare available at over 100 vendors in the mighty Food Building, and 60 concession stands on the Midway and throughout the grounds, there are tasty options for every budget.

While this year’s festivities have had to move online, you can recreate some elements of the bustling fair at home, including the tasty eats.

Crickets + cheesecake curds

The best part of the food scene at The Ex is new, exciting items are introduced annually while classics remain steadfastly on offer.

Deep-fried Mars Bars and deep-fried butter were introduced on Canada’s largest fairgrounds in 2010. Since then, battered foods of all sorts – cookie dough, Thanksgiving dinner, and even bubble gum – have caused a frenzy. But that was just the beginning of the rollout of outrageous concoctions.

In 2014, Toronto’s iconic diner Fran’s Ex-exclusive Thanksgiving Waffle made the headlines. 2016 introduced bacon “croissundaes” and insect-laden fare including Bug Dog a hot dog festooned with crispy mustard crickets, and Beetle Juice featuring roasted mealworm powder.

By 2017, extreme mashups had taken firm hold - Spaghetti Donut Ball, anyone? This trend continued into 2018 with Philthy Philly’s Chocolate Banana Steakclair, Vanilla-Pickle Ice Cream served in a ranch dill cone vis So Cute Ice Cream, and who can forget Bacon Nation’s The Golden Burger, complete with gilded bun for a cool $100?

Last year, the spotlight shone on an array of hybrid’s including Chef Al’s Haggis Macaroni & Smoked Cheese, Candy Time’s Cotton Candy Taco, Cheesecake Curds by The King of Curds, Eative’s Frozen Cookie Dough Spaghetti, and Pickle Lemonade by Splash.

Choose your own adventure

This year, the food tour comes right to your door, with CNE Virtual Kitchen. The easy-to-follow cooking videos allow you to recreate some of this year’s iconic dishes in the comfort of your own home:

Bacon Wrapped Grilled Cheese* by Bacon Nation
Granny Smith Apple Fries by Event Foods
Bulgogi Taco* by Far East Taco
Homemade Japanese Soufflé Pancake* by FUWA FUWA Japanese Pancakes
Lobster Roll by Jake’s Seafood
Rainbow Grilled Cheese by Mac & Cheesery
Dim Sum Bao by Oriental Express
Philthy Philly’s Cheese Steak Sandwich* by Philthy Philly’s
Primo 99 cent Spaghetti by Primo Spaghetti 99

You’ll also find a list of ingredients, making grocery shopping that much easier. Not into cooking? Place your order instead - starred items above are available for takeout and/or delivery directly from individual restaurants.

This year’s roster also includes a CNE-inspired dish and drink by Liberty Commons at Big Rock Brewery. The Canadian brewpub and in Liberty Village is featuring The Spent Grains S’mores Funnel Cake ($9) by chef Ryan Lister and the Sky Ride Sour (5.5% abv), a limited-time nano-brew named for the iconic ride by Big Rock and the CNE - available while supplies last in the Beer Shop and Beer Garden ($4.25/can or $8/20 oz. pint).

Sights + sounds

To help bring the fairgrounds feel home, add in one or more of the following:

- a CNE Virtual Background
- an assortment of Midway fare - roasted corn, corn dogs, candy floss, Tiny Tom Donuts, ice cream waffles
- sounds of the midway
- socially distanced friends and fam
- one of the many scheduled virtual events, including the Virtual Busker Stage, Ghost Walks, Jam Session, SuperDogs, and Rising Star Talent Competition.

You can also purchase a CNE Box with goodies from vendors and tickets (2 or 4) to next year’s show.

It might not be the same as previous years, but this might be the only time you can “go to the Ex” in your pj’s.

Share your CNE food memories on Instagram - what are your must-have dishes on the Midway and in the Food Building?

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