CNE opens Friday with deep-fried Brie Oreos, wasabi sweetcorn lemonade and lobster sticks

The Canadian National Exhibition opens Friday, August 21 and runs through September 7 with a roster of new and returning foods that range from inspired to utterly absurd.

Hands down — or is that teeth down — the winning wacky creations are the sweetcorn wasabi lemonade, the straightforward lobster on a stick, and surprisingly orgasmic deep-fried Brie Oreos. The edible dirty soda spheres — a bubble of flavour that explodes in one bite — landed as the coolest novelty, while the nitro-foggy space rocks impressed visually but landed flat on taste.

Among standouts worth seeking out are the popcorn falafel poutine for those wanting something gluten-free, the Korean fried chicken ramen taco from Los Vietnamita, dill pickle perogis, and Marry Me Mochi's lineup of donuts — mango habanero, piña colada inferno, and a savoury nacho version. Bacon Nation's root beer bacon slice earned a return trip, and the cheeseburger donuts were delicious. The cotton candy wafflicious from Jerk Dogs and the superb offerings from Beach Hill Smokehouse — including a carnival cone with mac and cheese ball, candied yams and mac and cheese sauce served in a waffle cone — round out the genuinely good options.

For the oddball stuff that's fun to try once: the KD smoothie, disguised with mango, pineapple juice, vanilla yogurt and skim milk, wasn't bad. The pickle coffee and pickle cheesecake earned a firm no — they taste exactly like you'd expect, and not in a good way. A footlong butter chicken taquitos, bacon espresso, and soft serve ice cream topped with Sichuan peppers also landed in the experimental-only category.

Some dishes use the CNE's first-ever hot sauce, Sweet Heat, including Bacon Nation's spicy maple bacon cheese foam fries. The sauce can be purchased at the CNE merchandise shop and at Drip, the coffee shop in the Music Building.

The new food creations are scattered across the Food Building, the Midway, Food Truck Frenzy, Enercare Centre and Bandshell Park.