We’re nursing a mean case of the post-holiday blues. No, not from the Fourth of July; the Summer Fancy Food Show has come and gone, and we’re left with a long list of new favorites and a serious food coma. Our editor Katie was there to rep culture, and came back with some fun goodies to share (tough job, we know!). It all went down in New York City, taking up two full floors of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and featuring over 180,000 products from 2,400 vendors. It’s 3 full days of networking, shopping, walking, and of course, eating. What’s got the blogosphere buzzing about this event?
Epicurious rounded up their 14 favorite new products from the show, ranging from savory yogurts to sculptural sugar cubes. The wackiest product they list? Olive oil “caviar.” As they explain, products can be all over the map: “There’s everything from miniature avocados (adorable!) to artisanal savory beet yogurt (delicious!) to ghost pepper hot sauce served in a cowboy-shaped squirt bottle (uh, sure!).”
Ad Age listed the top ten trends they saw at the fest, ranging from mild (think new-age jerkies) to wild (drinking vinegars, anyone?). Some trends even defy logic, like smoked chocolate chips or beer jelly beans. And lest you fear the gluten-free train is on it’s way out, fret not: “The good news several years into the skyrocketing trend is a renewed focus on creativity and improved taste. Foods on trend: Quinn Popcorn’s Kale and Sea Salt gluten free, Lady Fortune’s gluten-free fortune cookies, and Bee Nut Free snacks, also ‘Big 8’ allergen-free.”
The New York Daily News did their own roundup of true innovators: salmon hot dogs, bacon cheeseburger cheese (!), even 3D printed desserts, all make the list. They also predict that dragon fruit is about to skyrocket into produce aisles everywhere. “Dragonfruit — which comes from a cactus — is poised to hit it big as the next superfruit, according to Mic LeBel of Navitas Naturals. The company sells a line of health food snacks and supplements made from this fruit harvested from a night -blooming cactus grown in South America, Thailand and Vietnam.”
Want more sneak peaks at new-on-the-market products? Check out Twitter for tons of behind the scenes pics and serious eye candy.
Feature photo by Bryan Pace for New York Daily News
Alicia Hahn
Alicia Hahn excels at eating and enjoys writing, crosswords, and cooking (preferably with cheese). Originally from San Francisco, she moved to Boston for school and fell in love with the city (despite an annual campaign against winter). Her favorite place to be is the farmers’ market, where she finds weird and exciting ingredients to make or break her next meal.
