Deep-fried Kool-Aid causes an online splash

Charlie Boghosian scoops up a ludicrously pink batter into his ice cream scooper and drops it in the deep fryer.

As the balls of pink dough bob and dance in the hot fat, Boghosian, a vendor at country fairs around the US, recounts to TV news channel ABC his childhood love of Kool-Aid, a powdered American drink popular with kids for turning tongues different colors, its high sugar content, and the cartoon drink-pitcher mascot whose signature slogan is "Oh yeah!"

Boghosian's deep-fried Kool-Aid balls are made with flour, water and cherry-flavored Kool-Aid powder and have become a hit at the San Diego County Fair this month, where he told the San Diego Union-Tribune he's been selling 400 to 600 orders of the novelty food every day since the fair opened June 10.

In the first four days, he also went through 150 lb (68 kg) of Kool-Aid powder and 1,500 lb (680 kg) of flour.

Boghosian's deep-fried Kool-Aid balls have also captivated the attention of Tweeps and have been trending on Twitter in the US as "#Fried Kool-Aid."

Zagat, the crowd-sourcing diner's guide called the creation, balls that "Defy Logic, Comprehension," while New York Times food critic Gael Greene took to Twitter to denounce the stuff:  "If fried KoolAid balls are a hot treat @the County Fair it seems food critics R redundant, crying in the wilderness."

Boghosian is a fair fixture in the US and travels the carnival circuit with his legendary stand Chicken Charlie's, which is known for throwing junk food in the deep fryer. The result is often outlandish, hedonistic creations like deep-fried Girl Scout Cookies, deep-fried brownies, and even a Krispy Kreme Chicken Sandwich, a deep-fried chicken patty topped with Swiss cheese, nestled between Krispy Kreme Original Glazed donuts.

As of 11 a.m. GMT, meanwhile, a tweet from @LouBrutus had been retweeted 50 times: "Fried Kool-Aid? I get a mental picture of that giant pitcher breaking thru the wall, yelling OH YEAH and then falling into a deep fat fryer."

These deep-fried delicacies can be seen being made at http://youtu.be/68EP0C9lzyU.