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The Divine Swine, a gourmet slice of pepperoni, sausage, ham and bacon, made its debut this week in a place where the elephant ear and pork sandwich have long been popular.

For obvious reasons the theme — pig — appeals to fairgoers, Mother Bear’s manager Heather Meyer said. The booth also sells classic pepperoni, sausage and cheese slices, a vegetarian slice, a deluxe slice, and a summery strawberry lemonade with a free Mother Bear’s koozie.

It is Mother Bear’s first year at the fair, and probably not its last, Meyer said. Between 200 and 250 slices of Mother Bear’s pizza sold outside the 4-wheeler race pit in about six hours Monday night, and fair officials said they had a hard time shutting down the commercial tent at night’s end because of the Mother Bear’s line beneath it.

Food is a major attraction each year at the fair. The deeper fried, the better. Anything in a bun will sell. That includes cinnamon buns. Sweet tea and lemonade flow abundantly and in cups so big, you need two hands. And as Mother Bear’s has pegged, cheese and meat are glorious.

Another fairly new vendor, The Shuckers Shak, came to the fair two years ago with its top selling Elk Burger, a pure elk patty that is 98 percent fat free.

Its pork loin, without breading or bun, also has been a talker, owner Rich Wilson said Tuesday, but “as hot as it is, baked potatoes have been extra popular.”

Wilson said he sells 75 baked potatoes on average each day. There is the standard baked potato with butter, sour cream and cheese. And of course there is the more desirable Potato Boat, with shredded barbecue, cheese sauce, sour cream and jalapenos.

Customer Debbie Taylor left the Shuckers Shak Tuesday afternoon with Texas Barbecue Nachos, stacked high with pulled pork barbecue and all the fixings.

She was on her way to the South Union Church booth, where she said she handed out 2,500 free snowcones the night before.

Taylor has her favorites — elephant ears and giant tenderloins came to mind — but she said she’s tried steak roll-ups and a baked potato this week, both from the Shuckers Shak, and was not disappointed.

Not far away at the Wagon Wheel, a staple at the fair known as the “Angus beef place,” owners say the Philly beef sandwich, curly fries and sweet tea are popular and almost always sold together.

Brance Hatton, a 4-H parent, said he is a “meat guy” who loves elk burgers, ribs and pork tenderloin sandwiches. He bought a cheese quesadilla for his daughter, 12-year-old Kara, whose list was sweeter, with cinnamon rolls and lemon shake-ups.

Fairgoer Eryn Wisler’s favorite is a fried catfish sandwich with peppery cornbread batter. But she had her hands full Tuesday with four children — two were her own — rediscovering the fair’s bright blue snowcones.