An actual Octoberfest!

You know I'm celebrating Octoberfest over here, and so far I've learned the history of the Pumpkin Pie.  I've also catapulted a pumpkin to smithereens in the name of charity, and decorated the house with fake dead leaves and er, pumpkins. It's National Pumpkin Pie Day on October 12th guys - I want to see your pies!

Well, I couldn't have Octoberfest without attending a real Octoberfest. This part of the USA is heavily influenced by German culture, hence the obsession with pretzels and a growing local craft beer industry. This is one part of October I can really get behind, so we joined our local community in supping beer and watching the traditional dancing.

The general consensus was that Lederhosen, like the Kilt, are a national dress that just works. More Lederhosen please.

We also sampled some traditional Oktoberfest cuisine. No, not weisswurst, brot or sauerkraut:

Yup, that's funnel cake, and a box of deep-fried Oreos. For my British readers, funnel cake is a deep-fried dough-based dessert not unlike the Spanish churro. It's the staple food of fairs, fetes and boardwalk amusement parks. I first tasted funnel cake at Seaside Heights in New Jersey, and then again many times while working on the Coney Island Boardwalk one summer.

But trust me: It is authentically German enough to make an appearance at an Oktoberfest in Pennsylvania Dutch country. In Austria it's known as Strauben.

The deep-fried Oreo I can't explain, except that it was battered in the deliciously fluffy funnel cake batter, contrasting with the infamous deep-fried treat that hails from my previous home-country (Scotland, to all you folks who don't know). Deep-fried Mars Bars, in my experience, have a far crunchier batter and a much more gooey inner consistency. This didn't stop me from eating two of those iconic US cookies though.

Brits: I know there's a stand in Camden Market in London that sells deep-fried Oreos if you want to share the experience! I offered to treat my nan to a plate when we were there in May. She turned me down, and I have no idea why. It's something that Americans and Scots (and 19th Century Germans?) share alike: A surprisingly tempting propensity to take food items and find a way to deep-fry them.

Remember, it's the Glad Blog Octoberfest all this month, so please send me your own Fall themed posts - I'd love to feature my favorites. Bonus points if you feature pumpkin related activities or products, local Fall Fests, or fun traditions I haven't heard of.