COLUMBIA, S.C. — It’s opening day at the South Carolina State Fair and there are a few different sights, sounds and smells - including a new Cookies and Cream funnel cake and elephant ear flavor.
"Every year I come, I come for elephant ears," attendee Veronica Grant laughed.
Grant has been coming to the State Fair for over 10 years. One of her favorite parts is undeniable: the food. She’s not the only one who thinks that.
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Ashlyn Massey has worked the fair for the past six years. She's following in her mother's footsteps, who worked the fair for 23 years. Now, Massey is working alongside her brother and son, which makes it a "family dynamic" that she loves.
While working, she's seen how excited visitors get about the food.
"They want to come eat and food’s where it's at. And if you don't have new stuff, some people don't want to try it," State Fair Foods employee Ashlyn Massey explained. "Havin' a new flavors, gets new flavors and gets the business out here gets people ramped up to want to do stuff."
Which is why this new flavor is on this year's menu. Massey tells me she’s been selling that flavor all day.
"We've been selling a bunch of it over here," she shared.
Dasani Lewis and Natasha Pritchett tried it out. I got their reaction to their first bite.
"This is delicious and worth my $10," Natasha Pritchett said.
"It sure is!" Lewis agreed.
You can get this flavor on two different types of sweet treats: elephant ears or funnel cakes. Massey tells me the biggest difference is in the texture.
"Elephant ears are made out of a yeast dough and they are more like a donut," Massey said. "And the funnel cakes are made out of a cake batter so they’re more like a waffle."
You can try the new topping - or any of the classics - every day at the fair.
"I’m ready to come back next year again," Grant exclaimed. "All for the elephant ears!"
The classics include: cinnamon sugar, Bavarian cream, fudge, powdered sugar, apples, cherries and cookies and cream.