State fairgoers need a sweet tooth

State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler on Friday put his vote in for the chocolate-covered bacon.

"Believe me, I've tasted it, and it's wonderful," he said. "You've got to try the chocolate-covered bacon."

It's also a good way to celebrate Pork Month in North Carolina, he said.

Fair vendor Paul Amburn has developed his own opinions while serving up sweets from the Sugar Shack for the past five years.

He said the most popular treats are the deep-fried candy bars.

"You dip it in funnel cake batter, so it has a nice golden batter on it. So it's sweet-on-sweet, that's what it is," he said.

And the fat content?

"You don't need to know. I mean, it's fried," Amburn said.

Funnel cakes have been around for a long time but haven't gotten passe. And anything fried is good, Amburn said.

Deep-fried Oreos?

"We do them in a little batch and get five of them. Just pop them in your mouth, about two bites. They're awesome," he said.

Deep-fried pickles?

"They're real good. They got a little spicy; they're crispy," he said.

Deep-fried Ho-Hos?

"It goes along with the candy and everything. You put it on a stick," he said. "Anything you can fry and put on a stick, they'll buy."

As for himself, Amburn says, he only eats the occasional fried treat.

"I mean look at me, I'm a healthy man," he said. "I eat a little bit of it."