Bread? This is Way More Than Bread

If you are a local, or are good friends with locals, you go to the Everglades Seafood Festival and eat Indian Fry Bread.  You do not eat any seafood that is sold at the festival.  It’s just that easy.  You eat Fry Bread and if you want seafood, you leave the festival and go to Triad Seafood(there will be a review of Triad in the near future).  This past weekend was the Seafood Festival and I did just that…I ate Fry Bread and avoided all of the seafood.

Let me begin by saying I have been anxious and looking forward to the Seafood Festival for months.  I have been anxiously anticipating the arrival of the first weekend in February which equates to the Seafood Festival.  On the morning of, I was up, completed my run, did a load of laundry, showered and dressed before 6:30am.  Yeah, I have issues.  Once it was finally time to depart Naples at 9:30am, I was so beyond ready.

Why was I so excited?  Well, beyond the fact that I was really to eat, eat and eat, I was excited to eat some Indian Fry Bread.  We arrived in Everglades and were within the festival by about 11:00am.  We went right over to the Fry Bread tent and decided to start off with just a piece of Fry Bread on its own.  Gotta start slow and ease into it.

I placed the order for the Fry Bread, paid my $3 and waited a few moments for it to arrive.  I was presented with a very large, circular piece of bread wrapped partially in aluminum foil.  As I held the bread, it was very hot in my hands.  I didn’t see the bread come right out of the fryer but, I can presume it had come out only moments before.

I’m not really sure what exactly is contained with Fry Bread.  I know that it is a flat piece of dough that is fried and served.  Every piece is made by hand and you can see the pieces being formed and made from within the tent.  Preparing the Fry Bread on site, moments before it is fried up, really sets this stand apart from the others.  Most of the other stands, make their food hours before and let it sit under a heat lamp getting cold and dry.  Not the case with the Fry Bread and for this, I am thrilled.

The 3 of us (Me, Mommy and Taylor) shared this piece of Fry Bread.  The Fry Bread is circular and is pretty thick.  There are many spots throughout the bread that contain ‘dough bubbles’ and every piece is different.  Once we let the bread cool for a few moments, I broke into it.  Out came the glorious aroma that can only be described as Fry Bread.  A very distinct, very amazing, aroma that nothing else can duplicate.

As I placed a piece of Fry Bread on my mouth, I received instant flavors.  Fry Bread, while fried, is really only briefly fried.  The bread has a semi-crispy exterior with an extremely soft and smooth interior.  As I chew the bread, the crispy exterior and chewy interior mix together perfectly in my mouth.  The taste is not like any other bread I have ever had.  Every bite produces a semi-sweet flavor followed by a refreshing bread flavor.

I love that this bread is served hot and that the consistencies are so perfect.  This bread requires absolutely no butter at all and is only made better when it transforms into an Indian Burger…but that is for another time.  The after taste left in your mouth after each bite is like a warm, flavored reminder of the great time you just had.  The three of us had this piece of Fry Bread devoured in just a few minutes and I certainly could have had another right then and there.

While I would not want to eat Fry Bread on a daily basis – it is fried after all – I would like to eat it a few times a year.  Sadly, the only time I get to enjoy this delight is during the Everglades Seafood Festival.  Still, it makes my anticipation of the Seafood Festival even higher than it may normally be.  The taste of Fry Bread is one that is so hard to describe…you will just need to try it on your own.  I guarantee you will love the perfectly crispy exterior, soft & chewy interior and all over fantastic taste.  Fry Bread is certainly way more than bread.