Vegan Dishes Win at the Iowa State Fair

The Iowa State Fair—best known for its 600-pound cow carved out of butter—included three vegan categories as part of the fair’s food competitions that collectively drew 10,600 entries. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Truffle Pie won gold for the Vibrant Vegan category, a No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars won the number-one dessert overall in the Raw Vegan category, and dishes such as corn chowder and wild rice salad competed in the Vegan Miscellaneous division, which awarded extra points for using gluten-free and sugar-free ingredients. The Midwest has seen an uptick in vegan activity with the 2014 opening of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s vegan restaurant Modern Love Omaha and Dr. Joel Kahn’s fast casual GreenSpace Café set to open this September. Additionally, Wells Blue Bunny, which released four vegan ice cream flavors this year, was a sponsor at the event.