I spent some time at the
Fancy Food show—a gourmet food products trade show at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC— earlier this week (and I wish I'd known about the
Unfancy Food Show that was going on at the same time!) and it was, as always, an interesting experience. The biggest trend I saw? BACON. Vegan bacon mayonaisse, maple bacon lollipops, chocolate bacon pancakes, and
wowbacon.com (you just need to click that link to see what it is). There were also products infused with tea, more fancy water-esque drinks, and plenty of brands reimagining their products for kids (I did enjoy the prototypes of just such a product from
Larabar). All of that aside, and the awesome cheese house above, here are the items that truly impressed me and I'd gladly purchase at the market.
Sweet Potato and Rosemary CrispiThins from
Polka Dot Bake Shop in Charlotte, North Carolina. For as long as I can remember, my mom has made roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary, and these crackers capture that flavor with the addition of a pleasantly crisp crunch. I also loved that they tasted like a better version of their ingredients and that they are made with local sweet potatoes. These aren't quite in stores yet, but based on their reception at the show, I bet they will be available in no time.
Dark Chocolate Crispy Rice Wafer bar from
Qbel. I'd seen these in Whole Foods and read about them on other blogs, but I hadn't actually tasted one yet. They are stellar! It's an all natural candy bar, plain and simple, but it tastes really great—sort of like a sugar wafer crossed with a Three Musketeers. But so much better.
I'm totally hooked on the Hibiscus and Vanilla sparkling soda from
Ooba. Hibiscus has a really bright and vibrant flavor, but when paired with vanilla, it suddenly has a delicious side of creme soda. The product is pretty minimal as far as processed drinks go, with just five ingredients. I'm hoping to see it in a store near me soon!
Little Ragghi's Crackers were another favorite. They are a flat bread cracker with olive oil and parmesan—super crunchy and really flavorful. Plus, part of the profit goes to the
Native American Family Camp. (The company is named after Raggatha, a Native American woman who works with and teaches young girls. She's a good friend of the owner and he let her choose the charitable component.)
Cupoladuva Oven makes crunchy cookies (I tried the chocolate cashew variety) that are all natural and gluten free—they have a nut and egg white base—so they are appropriate for Celiacs. But besides that, I liked how subtle their flavor was and that they seemed like an ideal way to end a meal on a light, yet satisfying, sweet note. The company is also a mother daughter baking team, which makes me like it even more!
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I spent some time at the Fancy Food show—a gourmet food products trade show at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC— earlier this week (and I wish I'd known about the Unfancy Food Show that was going on at the same time!) and it was, as always, an interesting experience. The biggest trend I saw? BACON. Vegan bacon mayonaisse, maple bacon lollipops, chocolate bacon pancakes, and wowbacon.com (you just need to click that link to see what it is). There were also products infused with tea, more fancy water-esque drinks, and plenty of brands reimagining their products for kids (I did enjoy the prototypes of just such a product from Larabar). All of that aside, and the awesome cheese house above, here are the items that truly impressed me and I'd gladly purchase at the market.
Sweet Potato and Rosemary CrispiThins from Polka Dot Bake Shop in Charlotte, North Carolina. For as long as I can remember, my mom has made roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary, and these crackers capture that flavor with the addition of a pleasantly crisp crunch. I also loved that they tasted like a better version of their ingredients and that they are made with local sweet potatoes. These aren't quite in stores yet, but based on their reception at the show, I bet they will be available in no time.
Dark Chocolate Crispy Rice Wafer bar from Qbel. I'd seen these in Whole Foods and read about them on other blogs, but I hadn't actually tasted one yet. They are stellar! It's an all natural candy bar, plain and simple, but it tastes really great—sort of like a sugar wafer crossed with a Three Musketeers. But so much better.
I'm totally hooked on the Hibiscus and Vanilla sparkling soda from Ooba. Hibiscus has a really bright and vibrant flavor, but when paired with vanilla, it suddenly has a delicious side of creme soda. The product is pretty minimal as far as processed drinks go, with just five ingredients. I'm hoping to see it in a store near me soon!
Little Ragghi's Crackers were another favorite. They are a flat bread cracker with olive oil and parmesan—super crunchy and really flavorful. Plus, part of the profit goes to the Native American Family Camp. (The company is named after Raggatha, a Native American woman who works with and teaches young girls. She's a good friend of the owner and he let her choose the charitable component.)
Cupoladuva Oven makes crunchy cookies (I tried the chocolate cashew variety) that are all natural and gluten free—they have a nut and egg white base—so they are appropriate for Celiacs. But besides that, I liked how subtle their flavor was and that they seemed like an ideal way to end a meal on a light, yet satisfying, sweet note. The company is also a mother daughter baking team, which makes me like it even more!
