Taste Test: Deep Fried Pumpkin Pie and Deep Fried Key Lime Pie

On the row roughly across from the waterfall is a booth selling three kinds of deep-fried pie. I decided to conscript my Fair buddy into helping me do a taste test, and got deep-fried pumpkin pie and key lime pie for a taste test.

(Trivia: did you know that key lime pie is the official state pie of Florida? There is your odd fact for the day.)

The pies get a nice dollop of whipped cream and are available for $6 each. Between the forks and the napkins and the little pumpkin candy on top of one slice of pie, I am very proud that I managed to walk back to my seat in front of Dorton Arena without dropping anything.

Before we did the taste test I cut open the pie slices so I could take a picture. I don't know about best tasting thing at the Fair, but the deep fried pumpkin pie is hands-down the best-smelling thing I've ever had at the Fair. I was afraid there was no way it could taste as good as it smelled.

And it didn't, but man, it tasted good. The pie was warm enough but not molten, so it didn't feel like you were biting into pumpkin lava. There wasn't too much batter and the whipped cream was delicious. The only thing I would have done different was get a somewhat smaller slice ... that was a lot of pie!

I'm afraid the key lime pie suffered a bit in comparison with the pumpkin pie. The key lime pie was piquant and also just warm, like the pumpkin pie. In the case of the key lime pie, though, if it had been cooler in comparison to the outside, the tangy taste of the pie would have been enhanced. The whipped cream didn't do much for the key lime pie, either.

(Of course, your mileage may vary. My Fair buddy preferred the key lime to the pumpkin pie, so we both got to enjoy the one we preferred.)

The key lime pie was at least a B, but I thought the pumpkin pie was a solid A. I recommend you get your own Fair buddy when you visit this booth, though -- these are big slices!