WCCO Viewers' Choice For Best State Fair Food-On-A-Stick: Pronto Pup

FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) -- Each night of the state fair, WCCO will be asking viewers what their favorite part of the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

To start it off, viewers told Matt Brickman which food-on-a-stick is the best.

And tradition won over as the Pronto Pup came in first.

It is arguably the king of fair food. In 12 days of the fair, 36 tons of hot dogs will be consumed and 115 tons of batter will be fried up.

Gregg Karnis' dad brought the Pronto Pup to the fairgrounds way back in 1947.

"Until Pronto Pups came along there was never a food-on-a-stick at the Minnesota State Fair," Karnis said.

It quickly became a favorite, but what's the difference between a corn dog and a Pronto Pup?

"We have less sugar in ours than any other competitor does," he said. "They cater more toward the kids and their taste palate. We cater more towards adults."

Common perception is that corn dogs use corn meal and Pronto Pups use wheat flour – but that is false.

Corn meal is actually the biggest ingredient in the Pronto Pup batter. It's just a different flour mix that they use.