"What? You've never had a cream puff?"

I heard this from dozens of people in the weeks leading up to the Wisconsin State Fair. My first two months as a Milwaukee resident were filled with firsts, but none created such a stir as when I admitted I had never sampled the sweet treat.

I had been to the fair once when I was child, but missed the cream puffs. I am sure this was an intentional move on my mom's part to avoid dealing with me on a sugar rush.

The raised eyebrows and looks of astonishment that accompanied the equally surprised responses persuaded me to taste what all the fuss was about.

I pictured a little hut with a couple workers handing out an overpriced, bite-size morsel. Instead, I found an entire building requiring 205 employees, six sales windows and a cream puff weighing in at five oz.; a size that certainly gives fair goers their money's worth.

Entering the Cream Puff Parlor on the fair grounds, a waft of sugar and dough-filled air escaped from the doorway. Employees decked out in "team cream puff" shirts and cow print hats scrambled to deliver the approximately 50 to 55 cream puffs sold every minute.

David Schmidt, executive director of the Wisconsin Bakers Association, was kind enough to take a break from the hectic pace of the parlor to ensure that my first cream puff experience beat my expectations.

Sitting in his office, adjacent to the whirl of cream, sifted powdered sugar and workers, I had to ask what makes these particular cream puffs so special? Schmidt explained they are continuously made fresh throughout the fair. He also attributed the unique texture and taste of the cream puffs to the use of sophisticated German cream machines and Golden Guernsey cow cream.

I never imagined that the cream puff requires so much behind-the-scenes work. Each pastry is sliced, filled and topped with powdered sugar by hand. With 35,000 to 40,000 cream puffs sold per day for 10 straight days, I realized the cream puff is more than just a treat at State Fair; it is a main attraction.

Schmidt also filled me in on a little bit of the cream puff's history with State Fair, but all I could think about was "How do I eat this thing with any grace?"

I scrutinized the giant pastry in front of me, while Schmidt gave me pointers on the three ways to eat a cream puff:

1. "The plunge." You just dive right in. According to Schmidt this method is by far the messiest.

2. "The Twist and Scoop." Simply twist off the top and scoop the cream.

3. "The Smoosh" and "Lick and Dip" combo. All you have to do is flatten the cream puff before taking a bite. Schmidt explained that cream falls everywhere so licking the plate clean is a must.

I opted for method number two, since I had an audience. However, as I dug in for my first bite I still worried that I would resurface with cream all over my nose. Luckily, I was a little smoother than normal and made it through with a clean face.

Mid-chew, Schmidt asked what I thought. I managed to nod my head to avoid talking with my mouth full and then offered my praise. This is when I realized that writing an article about eating cream puffs involved a different kind of professionalism.

Before I left to deal with my impending sugar rush alone, Schmidt offered some final words of advice to future cream puff eaters.

"Never ask for a fork," says Schmidt. "Only out-of-towners ask for forks. This is a bakery. Use your hands.