KDays 2026: Let's Commit Some Food Crimes!

If I'm being honest, the only reason that I visit KDays at all is to check out the pure insanity that is the New Foods Competition. What makes these foods "new?" This is where you'll find all of those wild and crazy food ideas - things that some people might not even dare to eat. And that's where I come in! There's nothing that I won't order! This year there was a lot of cheese. At the end of the day, everyone just wants something gooey and cheesy! You'll still find pickles jammed into things but I think that people are becoming less shocked by such items. There were 53 entries to choose from this year, including weird savoury dishes and even weirder sweet ones. Beverages too! Expect really wild ideas, trends being followed, and things that you might not even want to try. In the name of eating everything, here's what I was able to feast upon before my arteries asked me to please stop. Here are the New Foods that I ate at KDays this year:

Amsterdam Cone Fries from The Poutine King ($25.00) Giant cone of crispy fresh‑cut fries loaded with rich gruyère cheese and creamy béchamel sauce for a warm, cheesy, indulgent base. Finished with a drizzle of truffle mayo for a bold, savory, upscale twist on classic fries. There were SO MANY fries in this cone - 5lbs to be exact! I will say that these fries did feel a bit luxurious with the cheese and the sauce and the truffle. I also really appreciated that they layered those ingredients throughout so that it wasn't just all on top (and then a ton of bare fries below). Honestly, this didn't even feel like carnival food.

Tex-Mex Sago Spirals from Freakk Fries ($12.00) Light, crunchy sago chakli spirals topped with warm, melty nacho cheese and smooth avocado crema. Finished with bold Red Hot Cheetos dust and fresh cilantro for a cheesy, creamy, spicy street‑food kick. These looked different in the pictures that I saw. They were supposed to be spirals but instead what I got was more like cakes. However, these were crunchy and very satisfying to eat! The flavours were very fun and captured the Tex-Mex vibe well. Still not entirely sure what these are made of though, ha ha.

Spam Fries from Anything Spam ($13.00) “Crispy, salty, totally addictive!” Spam cut into fry-shaped strips, coated in a signature seasoned batter and fried to a golden crunch. Served hot with a creamy spicy mayo dip. Unexpected, craveable, and seriously snackable. You had me at SPAM!!! I was not mad at all at these breaded Spam sticks. Loved the juicy Spam on the inside. Loved the dipping sauce. Easy to eat. This is a win as far as I'm concerned.

Caesar Gelato Shake from Marietta's Gelato Bar ($19.00) A savoury-sweet gelato shake inspired by the iconic caesar cocktail, blended with bold flavours. This beverage was truly wild... But in a great way. It was a caesar. It was ice cream. It was... Charcuterie? Basically everything that you could want in a cup, together at last! I liked the spicy-salty rim, liked the chips, and yeah, maybe I liked some meat with my ice cream too. Was this the weirdest thing that I tried? Maybe!

Wagyu Okonomiyaki Giant Senbai from Kachi Kachi World ($25.00) Giant crispy rice cracker loaded with premium wagyu beef and savory okonomiyaki‑style sauces for a bold, umami‑packed bite. Handcrafted and oversized for a crunchy, saucy, street‑food experience that’s rich, flavorful, and made to stand out. This thing was HUGE!!! I think that this is the item that wins for being the one that everyone wanted to buy just so that they could take pictures with it. I agree that it was hilarious to hold it... But it wasn't so great to eat. It was super dry and kind of just tasted like eating cardboard. Even when you got to where the meat is... Then it was meat-flavoured cardboard. Points for being super novel though!

Fried Frozen Watermelon from Mr. Pickle ($12.00) Sweet watermelon pieces frozen, battered in mini‑donut batter, and fried until golden for a warm, crispy outside. Topped with fresh strawberry sauce for a cool, juicy center and a perfect hot‑cold contrast. As crazy as this sounds, I liked it! Biting into a hot batter only to find a juicy and cold watermelon on the inside is actually very fun and satisfying! There was strawberry sauce drizzled on top. Sweet and different - a perfect carnival dessert!

Maple Bacon Fried Cheese Curds from Curly's Curds ($18.50) Lightly battered Quebec cheese curds fried golden with a gooey, melty center. Topped with crispy bacon bits and fresh maple syrup for a sweet-salty crunch. I don't know if I would call these "lightly" battered. But these were some of the best! Battered cheese cannot be wrong, especially when you bite into the gooey insides! The bacon and maple were awesome, combining all of the most perfect Canadian flavours. I'd get these again!

Twister-Roni from Big Coco's ($14.00) Stacked pepperoni and melty mozzarella spiraled on a stick, brushed with rich garlic butter for a savory, cheesy bite. Drizzled with marinara for a bold pizza‑flavored, handheld street snack that's warm, saucy, and dangerously snackable. This is the item that I liked the most!! It was like a pizza on a stick... But also like a corn dog - except with cheese only on the inside. Epic cheese pulls? Check! Slices of pepperoni also? You know it!! It's heavy and deep fried... But totally worth it in this case. Not outrageous in price either.

Area 51 Taco Burger from The Burger Joint ($22.00) UFO‑style Doritos‑crusted bun stuffed with seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, jalapeños, lettuce, and sweet mango with chamoy & Tajín for a bold, sweet‑spicy bite. Finished with cilantro‑lime sauce and a lime wedge for a zesty, messy, flavour‑packed fusion burger. So they basically made a burger and then put it into a panini press. It was kinda fun but I don't think that it added as much to the experience as they thought it would. More caramelized and crispy cheese would have helped. The burger tasted decent and it was quite saucy, which I liked. I also wanted to get the Deep Fried Butter Oreos from Drink a Fruit but when I visited the booth they told me that they weren't doing them. Ever. So that was unfortunate... But also maybe fortunate? It's obvious that none of this food will ever be found in a high end restaurant. But there's a time and a place for everything. Eating wacky carnival food while the rides swirl all around you is part of the experience and it's a lot of fun. I actually really like the way that carnival food has taken on a life of it's own. It makes sense and it adds to the over-the-top atmosphere! That's what it's all about, after all. Can't wait to see what they'll come up with next year!