Calling all food lovers! The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is BACK! Friday, August 21st, 2026 officially marked the start of Toronto’s 147th eighteen day season of food and fair fun. This year’s food line up is the talk of the city thanks to the CNE’s official media day release, which highlighted the latest, craziest and quirkiest concoctions of vendor creativity, that skyrocketed both social media views and the vendors sales too! This coveted exposure is an exclusive experience, limited to vendors fortunate enough to make the cut. And those that didn’t? Well it’s entirely separate list, hiding in plain site which is why I’m here to share the “CNE Secret 2026 New Food menu (the hidden list)” menu is where crazy quits and delicious begins.
Looking for a place to stay while in Toronto? Check out this link here?1. Farm to Fryer
📍 Food Building Booth
• Ramen Ribbit Treat 🐸
Farm to Fryer has never been afraid to experiment with deep-fried food, and being a lifelong cheese lover I know I can always find some cheesy goodness here but their new Ramen Ribbit Treat may be one of their most interesting creations yet. For me, anything exotic falls under the crazy new food options so I’m surprised this is one didn’t make the media day cut. Visually appealing, the frog legs are covered in a crunchy ramen coating then deep-fried and served with sweet Thai chilli sauce. The ramen added an extra layer of crunch and I was 10 the last time I had frog legs but they still tasted like chicken but with a sweet and slightly spicy finish thanks to the Thai chilli sauce. We enjoyed it and ate it all up quick!
• Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Doritos 🔥
Okay this is my danger zone lol. I LOVE cheese, LOVE Doritos and LOVE Cheetos so when I saw this new addition it was a no brainer that I was going to LOVE this too. Basically the dish is a Jen dream with 2 thick blocks of cheese that are coated in crushed, spicy Cheetos or classic Doritos. The cheese is then deep-fried making them crunchy on the outside and gooey inside. I loved every bite despite being a little full from the frog legs lol.
• Deep-Fried Butter🧈
A sweet treat to end our meal the deep-fried butter is new to Farm to Fryer this year, It’s a crispy cinnamon biscuit dough that is wrapped around a molten butter center. Deep fried it is then finished with a rich cookie butter drizzle. Our butter was melted completely by the time we got to it after eating the other two dishes but that didn’t take away from the taste imo.
2. Dirty Energy/ Soda
📍 Midway – Across from Bumper Cars under the Skyride
🌐 TikTok
A social-media sensation, Dirty sodas have become a fair food staple. And what I loved most about this Dirty Energy/Soda booth (across from the bumper cars under the Skyride) is the choice between soda (aka pop in Canada) or monster energy drink as the base. Their sustainable mindset was equally impressive, offering discounted refills, and deposit refunds of .25 for their dishwasher safe containers. Whether you opt for soda or monster, their 17 flavours offer their own special twist with a variety of flavoured syrups, cream or cold foam. The Monster energy drink is a great energy kick to get through the long 12 hours days. The trend is taking a somewhat healthy and whimsical direction this year with one of their newest flavours too! 3 new flavours this year include:
• Sugar-Free Unicorn Skinny Beach🦄
A great choice for those looking for an Instagrammable fair drink without the normal fair sugar and calories!
• Campfire Coke🔥
Toasted marshmallows flavoured this Dirty Soda reminds me summer nights around a campfire.
• Caramel Apple🍏
The newest flavour to hit the midway its the perfect mix of sweet and sour to quench your thirst.
3. Eva’s Original
📍 Food Building Booth
Savoury Chimney Cones🔥
I don’t know about you but when I think of chimney cones I think of soft-serve ice cream with decadent dessert toppings, but Eva’s Original has nailed turning their famous Chimney cones into 3 savoury CNE meals that were both delicious and filling! We tried the Mexican Street Corn but will share the generic description of the other two options as well.
• Tikka Masala Mac and Cheese🧀
A light creamy mac and cheese mixed with the warm, aromatic flavours of tikka masala. I love how well the chimney cones complete this delicious hand held dish.
• Mexican Street Corn🌽
A savoury corn-inspired experience the Mexican Street Corn Chimney Cone was creamy, delicious and filling with a lime citrusy kick. The warm chimney cone was the perfect end to this savoury meal.
• Pesto Mac and Cheese🧀
Another creamy mac and cheese addition, the Pesto Mac and Cheese is enhanced by the fresh and herby flavour of pesto. Mixing this savoury and no doubt satisfying, cheesy blend concoction with their signature baked cones would be a delicious contrast in texture and taste! We didn’t try this one but I will be re-visiting to try this one before the CNE ends also!
• Sweet Chimney Cone the Dot Cake Cone
A CNE exclusive was the perfect sweet finish to our chimney cone lunch!
4. Karaage Kid Fried Chicken
📍 Food Building Booth
• Karaage Bad
I LOVE Japanese fried chicken, so when we saw Karaage Kid’s “new food for 2026” sign we had to check it out! Originating in Ireland, the spiced bag is the inspiration for the Karaage Bad, and this Japanese Irish Fusion did not disappoint. Served with dip and spice on the side it was delicious!
• 3 Pcs Chicken
Probably one of the best priced most satisfying meals at the CNE, I have to admit I’ve been back here most than once already for this 3 pcs Karaage Chicken dinner.
5. Better Bovine
📍 Food Building Booth
• Wagyu Beef Jerky🐄
A surprisingly simple snack food find we loved that the Wagyu Beef Jerky use grass-fed cows and only 3 ingredients in their product. We stumbled upon this while walking through the fair. The booth actually has 3 of their flavours for sale and impressively each are made with only Beef, salt and pepper. Their jerky’s are high in protein as well which is something always on my mind.
6. Dutch Frites
📍 Food Building Booth 🌐 Instagram
• Truffle Parm Royale
French fries are a CNE essential, and new vendor Dutch Frites is elevating them with the Truffle Parm Royale. This indulgent creation brings together crispy fries, savoury truffle flavour and Parmesan cheese. who loves upscale comfort food. The Truffle Parm Royale could also be a great for sharing or a meal on it’s own!
7. CandyTime (Fun Tyme Foods)
📍 Midway- South/West of the Food and North/East of the Arts & Crafts Building
• Spicy Dill Cotton Candy
A twist on their previous Dill Cotton Candy, this is a new twist that is definitely different for those looking for something new. I have to resign to loving sweet cotton candy but that doesn’t mean it won’t be right for you!
Final Thoughts
The CNE’s has built a reputation for offering foods that are imaginative, indulgent and often completely unexpected so their annual media day unveiling has become a highly anticipated event. But with this years most delicious finds hiding beyond the media day list, I can’t help but wonder if the CNE “Secret” 2026 New Food menu (the hidden list) is the real hype the whole city missed! On until September 7, 2026 which secret CNE creations would you try first?
Looking for other food favs inside the CNE Food Building?! Check out the CNE’s official Food Building map. Looking for a place to stay while in Toronto? Check out this link here.
