Big Tex Choice Award Winner for Creative and Savory Fried 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Brisket Brittle 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Crispy Crazy Corn 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Deep Fried Halloween 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Deep Fried I-35 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Fernie’s Fried Toffee Coffee Crunch Cake 
Big Tex Choice Awards Celebrity Judges Chef Tiffany Derry, Chef Uno Immanivong, Donovan Lewis, Chef Kent Rathbun & Michelle Rodriguez 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Lucky Duck Dumpling 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist Pork Shots 
Big Tex Choice Awards Finalist Texas Pumpkin Poke Cake 
Big Tex Choice Awards Gourmet Royale Paraish Famy Matriarch 
Big Tex Choice Awards 2021 Finalist The Armadillo 
Big Tex Choice Award Winner of two categories Creative and Savory Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls by Gourmet Royale
With the State Fair of Texas right around the corner it was time to announce the finalists in the Savory and Sweet categories of the Big Tex Choice Awards and the 2021 Big Tex Choice winner is: Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls by Gourmet Royale.
Capturing “Most Creative” and “Best Taste-Savory,” the Parish family members are no stranger when it comes to the State Fair of Texas, although it was their first time winning the Big Tex Choice Awards.
During the off season the Parish Family serves one of America’s favorite snacks through The Popcorn Market’s stand at The Bomb Factory.
This was an emotional victory for the family, who lost their matriarch, Norma Parish, on August 3, 2021.
The finalists were: (Savory) Crisp Crazy Corn, Ruth Hauntz; Deep Fried I-35, Clint and Gretchen Probst; Deep Fried Seafood Gumbo Balls, Gourmet Royale; Lucky Duck Dumplin’, Bert Concessions; Pork Shots, Glen Kusak and Sherri Kusak at Hans Mueller; (Sweet) The Armadillo, James Barrera; Brisket Brittle, Ruth Hauntz, Deep Fried Halloween; Isaac Rousso, Fernie’s Fried Toffee Coffee Crunch Cake Winter Family Concessions; and Tex- as Pumpkin Poke Cake, Michelle Edwards.
The Big Tex Choice Award winner for the “Best Taste-Sweet” is The Armadillo, which is an Armadillo Cookie Butter Ice Cream Sandwich shaped like an armadillo. Mr. Barrera is celebrating his 25th anniversary and in 2005 he won the first ever Big Tex Choice Awards competition with his dish, Viva Las Vegas Fried Ice Cream.
Congratulations to this year’s winners of the 2021 Big Tex Choice Awards. The 2021 State Fair of Texas opens on Friday, September 24, and will run through Sunday, October 17. Head to BigTex.com/Tickets.
