Tasting, weighing, savoring: The Puyallup's food tops fair

Come September, a Western Washingtonian's fancy can turn to thoughts of the Puyallup Fair. And soon after, all that beautiful food.

It's fun to marvel at the fair's kaleidoscope of jams, jellies, pies, salsas and prize-winning produce. Plan your visit just right and you may even get to watch judges select this year's best Spam dish, the tastiest chocolate trifle and the fairest pumpkin carving of them all. Here's a sampling of what you can see this month:

Showdowns and bake-offs: Chocolate fans, pencil in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship 7:30 p.m. Monday. If the word Spam conjures up images of tasty sandwiches or musubi rather than a cluttered e-mail inbox, check out the Great American Spam Championship, at 1 p.m. Sept. 13.

See if you can stand the heat at the Salsa Showdown, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14. Remember how fun it was to bake with mom? See what other mom-child teams cook up at the Parent-Child Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest, 1 p.m. Sept. 15.

Settle the question of who bakes the best all-American dessert at the fair's Apple Pie Contest, 1 p.m. Sept. 28. Witness who can whip up the best recipe based on fair scone mix, at 1 p.m. Sept. 20. Or jam something else into your busy day at the fair's Best Jam and Jelly Contest, 1 p.m. Sept. 22.

All contests will be held in the Home Arts Department upstairs in the Pavilion (that's building No. 15 on your Puyallup Fair program map).

Mega produce: Pumpkin fans, plan on being there opening day if you hanker to see which pumpkins and squash take top weight honors. Last year's winner tipped the scales at 1,050 pounds. Judging is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday in the Large Show Arena, near the blue gate. Winners will be displayed on the north side of the ShowPlex with other agriculture entries. The adult champ takes home $1 for each pound the winning giant weighs, plus a banner.

Food play: For those who would rather play with food, there's the fair's vegetable-critter and pumpkin-carving contest from 8 to 10 a.m. Sept. 16.

Hand carry your home-grown, completed produce masterpiece through the gold entrance gate and get in free. Then deliver your work of art to the agriculture department in the ShowPlex. Judging will take place after 10 a.m., with four age categories. The top three placers get prize money and ribbons. The champ wins a trophy and bragging rights.

Visit www.thefair.com or call the 24-hour hotline at 253-841-5045 for more information. For a complete rundown of contests and how to enter, visit the Web site, click on Puyallup Fair and then Competitive Exhibits (on left). Then click Home Arts for all cooking-contest rules.

Karen Gaudette: 206-515-5618 or kgaudette@seattletimes.com