There are fried candy bars, candied apples, corn dogs and kabobs - and these are just a few of the fabulous foods served on sticks that are a great way to enjoy goodies on the go.

But why do we enjoy these wonders on sticks?

Pawan Amedi, owner of Divana Mediterranean Grill, said simply that meat on a stick just tastes better.

"I think that most of the food on sticks that are cooked are grilled," he said. "And grilling is different than baking or boiling these foods, so it has a good distinct flavor."

The restaurant offers chicken, beef, lamb and shrimp kabobs.

Shilan Amedi, sister and cook at the Mediterranean restaurant in Oakwood, added that food on a stick is more interesting.

"People like meat on a stick because it is something different," she said. "It gives you something different to look at and to enjoy."

Even in the popular movie "There's Something About Mary," star Cameron Diaz relishes her snack on a stick. Kabobs and fried items often pop up at local fairs, too, making it easy to enjoy while, say, trying to score a large stuffed animal.

At last weekend's Mule Camp Market in downtown Gainesville, patrons munched on candy bars, candied apples and kabobs on sticks. Often, festival and fair patrons swear a little grease and too much dough is worth it.

The simplicity of meat on a stick was something Kentucky resident Kate Skovran said she loved while attending the Lexington Lions Club Bluegrass Fair over the summer in Lexington, Ky.

"Because it's chicken on a stick," said Skovran, 17, as she laughed. "You've got to love that."

Sure, Skovran admitted, the breaded, deep-fried treat was a little greasy, and the $5 it cost was a little excessive. But she guaranteed the price was worth the crispy result.

Every week there seem to be carnival rides, midway games and vendors of deep-fried, double-dipped, chocolate-covered goodness popping up all over the nation.

On Thursday, the Georgia Mountain Fair opened in Hiawassee, with food vendors purveying everything from candied apples and cotton candy to corn on the cob and sausage sandwiches.

Becky Underwood, office manager at the Georgia Mountain Fair, said the foods on a stick offer ease.

"I would say if it was me it is probably less messy - and the convenience of it," she said of the benefits of food on a stick. "It is not like a hamburger and having things run out of it and all."

At the Georgia Mountain Fair, different foods on a stick are offered alongside more traditional hamburgers, french fries and the local specialty - trout - prepared by local civic groups.

"We have a Lions Club booth as our food vendors and I do know they have corn dogs up in the music hall, that's on a stick," Underwood said. "We had one booth that was rented out to our Towns County football players and they had the Snickers and other candy on a stick.

"They were dipped, fried and battered and they were very good."