New trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

Quinoa salad with grapes and passion fruit
Packaging display at the Summer Fancy Food Show
Panettone, one of many fancy packaging displays at the Summer Fancy Food Show

Our second foray to the Summer Fancy Food Show, a trade-only event held again at the cavernous Javits Center in New York City was no less daunting than the first time.

The three-day event features specialty or “fancy foods,” premium quality products often made by artisans and small producers. This year there were 2600 exhibitors and 22,000 attendees.

The show is produced by the Specialty Food Association, a non-profit trade association with more than 3000 members. This was the first time the show had a country as a co-sponsor, with 375 companies displaying foods from Italy. The event brings buyers from the food industry together with producers and vendors looking for distributors.

A few other factoids:

  • In addition to the U.S. and Italy, 50 other countries participated.
  • One in four food dollars are spent on fancy foods, to the tune of $109 billion last year (2014).
  • One of the fastest growing food categories: refrigerated pasta

We walked for hours chatting with exhibitors along the way, and tasted until we couldn’t consume another bite or walk another step. Here’s the “skinny” on what we found:


WHAT WAS TRENDING 

Quinoa 

This grain from the Andes is called the superfood of the Incas. In 2013, the UN named it the “golden grain” because of its high nutritional value and health benefits.

Quinoa salad with grapes and passion fruit
Quinoa salad with grapes and passion fruit at the Peruvian Pavilion
Quinoa flakes and puffed quinoa
Quinoa flakes and puffed quinoa

Chia

This small seed is also considered a superfood, purported to be rich in Omega-3 and to speed up metabolism.

Mexican chia snacks
Mexican chia snacks

Kale

Home cooks are increasingly incorporating kale into recipes. Although healthy, it can be challenging to cook because of its texture and bitter flavor.

Rhythm Kale Chips
Rhythm Kale Chips with Mango Habanero

Gluten-free 

A definite carryover from last year’s show, gluten-free products are still exceedingly popular.

A variety of gluten-free products
A variety of gluten-free products

Chips

Potato chips move over. Different rice and fruit chips are joining them on specialty shelves.

Risotto chips
Risotto chips
Various fruit chips
Various fruit chips

Everything Hot 

Anything hot seems to be the rage. Not only is Sriracha sauce on every restaurant table but there are other popular “hot” products.

Honey and balsamic mustard have given way to wasabi mustard
Honey and balsamic mustard have given way to wasabi mustard
Korean fermented hot chili paste
Korean fermented hot chili paste used in marinades, sauces, soups and stews
Mrs. Renfro's BBQ Sauces
Mrs. Renfro’s BBQ Sauces – Ghost Pepper is a favorite!

Low-Cal

This one will never go away. Two interesting new products were Skimpy mixers and Skinny Sticks.

IMG_2451
Skimpy Mixers
Skinny Sticks
Skinny Sticks

WHAT WAS CLEVER

Kelp caviar

Seaweed-based vegetarian caviar
Seaweed-based vegetarian caviar

Brownie Brittle

Sheila G. discovered that people loved the burnt part of the brownie and made it into chips
Sheila G. discovered that people loved the burnt part of the brownie and made it into brittle

Fruit Pulp Vinegar

Fruit-pulp vinegar from Italy
Fruit-pulp vinegar from Italy

Himalayan Salt Shooters

Tequila Salt Shooters - Just add tequila and drink up!
Himalayan Salt Shooters – Just add tequila and drink up!

Corn Cones

U-shaped corn ice cream cones from Korea are dripless
U-shaped corn ice cream cones from Korea are dripless

OUR FAVORITE STORIES

Much more than the tastings, every show-goer enjoys the one-on-one interaction with people from all over the world who share a passion for food. 

Pelino

We spoke to Mario Pelino, the seventh-generation of his family to work in the Pelino candy factory, which has been in business in Sulmona, Italy since 1783. He explained that Italian “confetti,” disk-shaped sugar candies typically thrown at weddings were the inspiration for the colored paper squares Americans throw at parades.

Mario Pelino
Mario Pelino

Del Terruno 

This free-range beef from Uruguay needed no seasonings. We hadn’t realized that Uruguay was a big exporter of meat. The women cooked and sliced it in front of us.

Del Terruno Free Range Beef from Uruguay
Del Terruno Free Range Beef from Uruguay

Zonin Prosecco 

Prosecco is one of our favorite sparkling drinks because it’s affordable to sip on any occasion, not just special ones. This one was a new-to-us brand and we can’t wait to try it with cassis or as part of an Aperol Spritz. It was served by lovely hostesses.

Zonin Prosecco Bar
Zonin Prosecco Bar

Previously on More Time To Travel:

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