Fried Oreos, Viagra Gum, Other Food Ideas
Jan. 20, 2004 -- — If your mom told you not to play with your food, she obviously wasn't clued into the deep-fried world of fast-food technology, where Popsicles now glow in the dark and doughnuts dunk themselves in coffee.
Let's take a look at the food and beverages that could be coming soon to a supermarket or restaurant near you.
Viagra Gum: The folks at Wrigley's won't let sexual impotence burst your bubble.
The chewing gum company received a patent last year for a brand of gum that would deliver sildenafil citrate, the same drug found in Viagra.
Many men brag about how good they are in bed. But now, such gum-flapping may finally pay off. No word yet on when Wrigley's will bring the product to market, and if it does, will Willy Wonka respond with a new, improved Everlasting Gobstopper?
Texas-Fried Oreos: Texans have a tradition of frying up chickens and catfish, but newfangled cuisine cowboys throw just about every imaginable fat-laden food into bubbling vats of grease.
Deep-fried Oreos were one of 14 new foods introduced in September at the State Fair of Texas, where 3.5 million visitors binged on such delicacies as fried Snickers candy bars and fried cheesecake.
The Oreo is dipped in batter, fried for 30 seconds, and served piping hot. Fair organizers didn't offer a calorie count, but next to a fried Twinkie, last year's rage, it might be downright dietetic.
Glow-in-the-Dark Popsicles: Talk about a light dessert: The next wave of glow-in-the-dark products are edible frozen snacks.
A dessert that glows like nuclear waste might not seem like a bright idea. But glow-in-the-dark necklaces have become such a sensation at carnivals and outdoor concerts that carnies are looking for the next craze.
"When you put a glowing object in your mouth there's bound to be worry at first," says Jim Clark of manufacturer Poppin' Glow."Once you prove it's safe, it's the thing every kid has to try."
Poppin' Glow's fruity ices are no different from other frozen treats. It's the stick that actually glows. When it's in your girlfriend's mouth, don't forget to mention that she looks radiant tonight.
Caffeinated Doughnut: Not since that historic moment when someone's chocolate got mixed with someone else's peanut butter has American cuisine seen something like this — the caffeinated doughnut.
The Voodoo Doughnut shop in Portland, Ore., offers patrons the only pastry that effectively dunks itself in coffee.
The "Sasquatch claw" is filled with 100 mg of caffeine — about a cup-and-a-half of coffee — for people on the run, mostly late in the evenings, according to store owner Kenneth Pogson.
"Everyone asks if it's popular with cops and it just isn't," says Pogson. "I guess they don't want to be stereotyped."
Espresso Steak: For a caffeine sensation that's a little more meaty, Rippe's steak house in Seattle is offering a coffee-encrusted filet mignon — and, yes, you can order your meat decaffeinated.
Chef Allison Jester experimented with the dish while her manager was away. Now, the $30 entrée is made with Starbucks Espresso grounds, and it's one of the restaurant's most popular dishes. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before we see Lamb Latté and Chicken Cappuccino.
Chocolate Wonton S'mores: Did the ancient Chinese ever gather around the campfire to roast marshmallows? If only they did, we wouldn't have had to wait until now for Chocolate Wonton S'mores — a treat that will soon be available throughout the United States.
Wild Noodles — an up-and-coming Phoenix-based restaurant chain — has plans to open 100 franchises over the next few months, taking bold new steps in Asian cuisine at affordable family prices.
One of Chef Eddie Matney's specialties: golden crispy fried wontons rolled in cinnamon and drizzled with marshmallow cream sauce and chocolate fudge.
Nicotine Beer: Imagine having a beer and a cigarette in one sip — that's like a vacation in degenerate heaven.
For other people, just quitting smoking as painlessly as possible would be the answer to a prayer. That's the intention behind the work of some Duke University researchers who have developed a liquid nicotine solution that can be added to a beverage to satisfy a nicotine craving.
Smokers who now fight their addiction with "the patch" may one day turn to "the pint" for help. You can actually have an extra round and explain it away by saying, "I'm trying to cut down."
Buck Wolf is entertainment producerat ABCNEWS.com. The Wolf Files ispublished Tuesdays. If you want to receive weekly notice whena new column is published, join the e-maillist.