If there were such a thing as a Disneyland for foodies, it would be the Fancy Food Show. Here, among the 2,300 or so exhibitors lining the aisles at the Javits Center in New York, food fans feast on thousands of meats, cheeses, chocolates, coffees, syrups, sauces, and crackers, as well as niche-interest goods (like Blair's Smoked "World's Hottest" Jolokia Chili), and products that blur the line between categories (Banana-Split Blueberry Syrup anyone?).
The sheer quantity of products overwhelms the senses. This is a sea of vendors positioned one after another in neat, never-ending rows. Guests, mostly in the food biz, snatch samples off tables, snacking as they walk and talk and cut business deals.
Esther Sung and I did our best to try all the new foods over the course of the three-day event, which ended yesterday. These are items that have just come out or will be coming out soon. Many are looking for distribution. Some have not yet finalized packaging. So consider this a peek at what you will be eating in a week, a month, or a year.
Also note: The worst is yet to come! We'll post the "worst of the fancy food show" soon.
THE BEST
Pairing foods with honey is an art and science, and the Savannah
Bee Co. just made that task a little easier with three new honey
products: Grill Honey (made for grilling), Tea Honey (made to go
with tea), and Cheese Honey (made to pair with cheeses).
Equally innovative: The No-Drip Honey Pump fits any of their
12 oz. jars. Ingenious.
Though we're not generally drawn to tea drinks (and especially
non-alcoholic ones), this bubbly won us over with its sweet (but
not overly so) balance of jasmine silver needle tea, raw sugarcane
juice, and water. It would make a fine addition to any celebratory
party (weddings, New Year's), perhaps as a ritzier alternative
to Martinelli's sparkling cider.
Nobody asks for gritty chocolate, but maybe they should: The folks
at Taza reject conching (a European process that creates
smoothness) in favor of stone-grinding. You can feel the textural
contrast of sugar and cocoa. The bars are round, not rectangular,
and come in various flavors including guajillo chili, cinnamon, and
vanilla bean.
Don't let looks fool you: This black garlic (fermented under
high heat for a month) is culinary gold, especially if you love the
taste of roasted garlic, which yields an addictive sweetness. Black
garlic (available as a bulb, paste, and even a drink) tastes great
just as is. No cooking required!
Chef Eric Ripert uses it; now you can, too.
The Sechuan button also known as "sansho button" or
"electric button" produces the single most electrifying
taste sensation you can have, short of chugging a pack of Pop Rocks
(it's also likened to licking a 9-volt battery). The
plant's bulb is 100% natural, looks a bit like a dandelion, and
pops up in cocktails whenever bartenders can get their hands on the
stuff. The company also sells powerfully flavored baby micro-greens
including basil, mustard-cress, chives, shisho leaves, and the
radish-like daikon cress.
They look so cute. Little shriveled chili peppers. Almost like
sun-dried tomatoes. We cut a sample into what we imagined was the
world's smallest portion, barely visible to the human eye; it
could fit on a pin. Yikes was that hot. But we discerned smoke,
too, and the heat gave way to wonderful earthy flavor. The rush
becomes addictive. Use sparingly.
This wins "best concept" for the clever way it meets
several culinary needs. It offers a quick and easy way to apply a
rub/marinade (citrus-teriyaki, Cajun-Creole, honey-mustard, or
tomato-basil). No experimenting with spices, no messy tables, no
waste of ingredients. One sheet holds all the rub intended for a
single piece of a meat. It also tackles the portion-control issue;
the shape and size covers exactly the amount of protein the average
person should be consuming. So you can see what the proverbial
pack-of-cards (or palm of hand) portion size looks like.
A family-owned business, SchoolHouse Kitchen's three new
product offerings (Squadrilla Chutney, Horseradish Dill Mustard,
and Ginger Lime Vinaigrette) impressed us with their originality
and balance. But what really appeals to us is the philanthropic
element of the venture: They've donated to tons of charities
including March of Dimes, Homeless Solutions, and the Cal Ripken
Foundation.
By James Oliver Cury
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