“Fried Coke” was the creation of Abel Gonzalez, Jr. for the 2006 Texas State Fair.
 
 
Dallas Morning News
What will State Fair vendors fry next?
Concessionaires bubbling with excitement over latest offerings
12:25 PM CDT on Monday, September 4, 2006
By KATIE MENZER / The Dallas Morning News

What goes better with a Fried Twinkie?

A Fried Coke, of course.

“It all started with the Fried Twinkie and went on to other things like the fried Snickers and marshmallows. So people were saying, ‘What are they going to fry next? Coke?’ ” said State Fair of Texas concessionaire Abel Gonzales Jr.

“And that got me thinking, ‘Why can’t I fry Coke?’ ”

He did, and his creation – deep-fried Coke batter nuggets topped with cola syrup – is one of six new fair foods being judged at the second annual Big Tex Choice Awards Contest today.

The entries – including fried pralines, fried cosmopolitans and fried macaroni and cheese – all add to the celebrated list of fried things you can eat at the fair ... if you can stomach them.

Local celebrities will choose their favorites today, but it’s up to fairgoers’ coupons to pick the real winners when the fair opens Sept. 29.
 
WFAA-TV News
Fried Coke: Secrets revealed
06:40 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 3, 2006
By AARON CHIMBEL / WFAA.com Mobile Journalist
 
The State Fair of Texas is known for its fried foods: Elephant ears, corny dogs… even fried pralines.

This year, one of the top new creations is Fried Coke. Yes, one fair concessionaire found a way to deep-fry the 120-year-old soft drink favorite.

“Why fry Coke? Why not fry Coke?” asked creator Abel Gonzales, a computer analyst most of the year, and the son of a restaurant owner. He’s been perfecting his Fried Coke recipe for two years.

“If you listen to someone go, ‘How do you fry Coke?’ or, ‘I’ve got to try Fried Coke,’ that’s automatically what you want to do—is try the Fried Coke,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales’ culinary contribution at last year’s fair was the “Elvis,” a tribute to the pop icon consisting of a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich with banana.

Gonzales concedes that Coca-Cola is like water—too runny to fry; it needs batter around it.

In this case, it’s mostly flour and sugar. After being fried, the golden nuggets cool off for a second, then get some powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, strawberry sauce and Coke syrup.

“It’s not what you think,” Gonzales said. “You’re not going to be overwhelmed with Coke flavor.”