CNE 2026: A Festival of Flavors or Food Frenzy
The rides at CNE are not just spinning in the air — the flavors have also gone beyond traditional boundaries.
From KD Smoothie to Ramen Fried Frog Legs, Food experiences at Toronto’s CNE that you may have never seen before
Report: Mehboob Ali Shaikh
Toronto’s historic Canadian National Exhibition, or CNE, has made food itself one of the major attractions this year. At the 147th CNE, running from August 21 to September 7, more than 30 new food creations have been introduced, including Kraft Dinner Smoothie, Sichuan peppercorn ice cream, Ramen Fried Frog Legs, Lobster on a Stick, Footlong Butter Chicken Taquito, Beef Butter Tart, and Deep-Fried S’mores Pizza Slice.
This year, CNE has also introduced its first-ever cotton-candy-inspired “Sweet Heat” hot sauce, which is being used in several new dishes. If you are visiting CNE this year, along with the rides and games, these unusual flavors may also prove to be a completely different experience for you.
The Canadian National Exhibition CNE, one of Toronto’s biggest summer traditions, is once again set up at Exhibition Place. The 147th CNE will run from August 21 to September 7, 2026, but alongside the rides, games, music, and entertainment, it is perhaps the unusual food that has attracted the most attention this time.
According to CNE management, more than 30 new food creations are being offered this year across different areas of the fair including the Food Building, Midway, Bandshell Park, outdoor concessions, and Food Truck Frenzy. One of the most surprising food creations this year is the KD Smoothie.
This creation by Booster Juice combines Kraft Dinner’s famous cheese flavor with mango, pineapple juice, vanilla frozen yogurt, and skim milk to create a sweet-and-salty smoothie that may be surprising even to imagine for many people.
If the KD Smoothie is not strange enough, “The Szechuan Sizzle” Spice Cream may be the next challenge.
Real Sichuan peppercorns, savory chili oil, and chili crunch have been added to vanilla soft serve. Sichuan peppercorn is known for its distinctive tingling sensation and slightly numbing feeling on the tongue.
One of CNE’s perhaps most adventurous dishes is Ramen Fried Frog Legs.
The frog legs are given a ramen coating, deep-fried, and then served with sweet Thai chili sauce.
Pizza Pizza has also taken traditional pizza in an unusual direction this time.
In the S’more Deep Fried Slice, a cheese pizza slice is dipped in batter and deep-fried, then finished with graham cracker crumbs, marshmallow whip, and chocolate drizzle.
This year, CNE has also introduced Lobster on a Stick. Canadian lobster tail is deep-fried tempura-style and served with Old Bay seasoning, creamy dill sauce, and a lemon wedge.
For those who love South Asian flavors, the Footlong Butter Chicken Taquito is also a major attraction this year.
A one-foot-long crispy taquito is filled with butter chicken, basmati rice, butter chicken sauce, cheese, and fresh vegetables, while creamy butter chicken aioli is served alongside it.
In 2026, CNE has introduced its signature hot sauce, “Sweet Heat,” for the first time.
Its flavor profile is inspired by traditional cotton candy, but it also has the heat of habanero peppers. CNE rates it 3 out of 5 on its spice meter.
Similarly, Sweet Heat Cloud Fries feature fries topped with spicy cheese foam, bacon, and maple drizzle, while a Sweet Heat collection of mochi donuts is also part of the fair.
In the Pickle Cheesecake Pop, New York-style cheesecake is served on a stick, dipped in chocolate, and then covered with crunchy dill-pickle potato chip crumbs.
In Smash Burger Dumplings, steamed dumplings are filled with hamburger meat, cheese, dill pickles, and griddled onions, then served with burger sauce and sesame seeds.
CNE’s unusual-food list also includes Brie Cheese Deep Fried Oreos. Wedges of Brie cheese are placed between Oreo cookies, deep-fried, and finished with rosemary.
There is no shortage of experimentation when it comes to beverages either. Sweetcorn Wasabi Lemonade attempts to combine summer corn with the heat of wasabi to create a buttery, spicy, and refreshing drink.
CNE’s food culture has increasingly become an entertainment category in its own right over the past several years. The organizers also acknowledge that unusual and viral food inventions have now become a prominent part of the The Ex experience.
Looking at this year’s list, it also feels that the goal is not simply to satisfy hunger, but to create something people will photograph, make videos of, discuss on social media, and say:
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is a traditional public and multicultural festival in Canada. The foods, entertainment activities, and vendors mentioned in this report are included solely for general informational purposes. They have not been categorized separately on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, culture, nationality, or ethnic background.
The inclusion of any food or vendor in this report does not constitute confirmation or a guarantee that the food is halal or meets any specific religious or dietary standard. Final verification with the relevant vendor or operator is the responsibility of the consumer.
