hell on a stick

our minnesota state fair has just started. it’s the biggest state fair in the country, and we tend to be both proud of it, and a little sheepish about some of the hokey folksiness of it. the fair is also a food destination, both high- and lowbrow, and among the innovations each year is some new food served on a stick. not just corn dogs, but alligator, and steak, and apple pie, all on a stick. this virginia stickseed looks like something that would get invented for the state fair. like maybe edamame on a stick. or sweet peas on a stick. but if you’ve ever walked through  a meadow full of these burs in late summer, and then tried to pry them loose from your clothing that evening, then you know there is nothing appetizing at all about them. the “dish” in this photo is nothing but hell on a stick.

virginia stickseed burs (Hackelia virginiana)

st. paul, minnesota