Deep-Fried Bubble Gum Isn't Really Gum At All

When you think of the best classic fair foods, visions of funnel cake, cotton candy, corn dogs, and kettle corn may start dancing in your head. If you've been to a state fair in the last decade or two, that list may have grown to include quite a few options of the deep-fried variety, from deep-fried Oreos to pickles to candy bars. Each year, it seems like we're introduced to new mad-scientist-like creations coated in crispy batter; state fairs are fertile ground for such experimentation, after all. Vendors want to show off their creativity, attendees expect treats out of the ordinary, and everyone is an indulgent mood. One of the wildest of these innovations, however, just might be a Texas invention circa 2011: deep-fried bubble gum. 

Not only is this snack a bit wacky because of its childlike, sugar-driven inspiration, but also because it's not actually bubble gum at all. When you think about it, biting into a batter shell to get to endlessly chewy gum might not be that satisfying. That's exactly what creator Justin Martinez thought when he had the brilliant idea to use fluffy, gooey marshmallows injected with bubble-gum flavor and a corresponding pink hue. The funnel cake dough is also bubble gum-flavored, and the entire extravaganza is topped with blue icing. This workaround to successfully deliver bubble-gum flavor worked: When deep-fried bubble gum debuted, it won the Most Creative distinction in the State Fair of Texas' Big Tex Choice Awards.

It's no surprise that deep-fried bubble gum was born at the State Fair of Texas. The ancient Egyptians may have invented deep-frying, but Texan food vendors turned it into an art. While the origins of the classic corn dog are up for debate, one of the leading claims comes from the Fletcher brothers at the Texas state fair in 1942. The State Fair of Texas launched its Big Tex Choice Awards in 2005 with Best Taste and Most Creative categories, fueling one-upmanship among food purveyors. That first year, deep-fried ice cream and a deep-fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich were winners. Over the years, others have included deep-fried Jell-O and an entire deep-fried Thanksgiving dinner.

If you've ever indulged in the treat of beer-infused dough fashioned into dumplings, you can thank Texas for that too — deep-fried beer originated at the State Fair of Texas in 2010. Just one year later, arguably before the novelty of deep-fried brewskis even died down, Martinez hit the fair with his deep-fried bubble gum. It became yet another claim to fame for the annual event, and a new sweet favorite. Deep-fried bubble gum has also spread to other places: It was a hit at 2024's Iowa State Fair, where attendees could double their bubble with bubble-gum soda.