Quinoa, potato chips, olive oil, ice cream, beer, chia breakfast cereal, artisanal chocolate, followed by pickles and washed down with a nice Cabernet. That’s not a progression that most chefs would recommend, but that is often par for the course while walking the aisles at the Fancy Food Show. Each summer 2,400-plus companies spanning 80 countries and regions gather at New York City's Javits Center to share their latest wares — 180,000 products at last count — with the industry’s top buyers, food service professionals and journalists. It’s a chance to get a first glimpse at the new products and the flavors that are going to be flourishing over the next year. Over the course of the three day show we walked several miles across the floor of the Javits Center and made some interesting discoveries — kale popsicles anyone?
The biggest event of the show came Monday evening with the annual Sofi Awards (standing for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation), which anoint the best of the best. And the top products are...
Appetizer Antipasto, Salsa or Dip
Gourmet du Village | Hot Parmesan & Artichoke Dip Mix
Baked Good, Baking Ingredient or Cereal
Fromagerie Belle Chevre | Goat Cheese Cheesecake
Cheese or Dairy Product
Caves of Faribault | Jeffs' Select, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
Chocolate
Chocolat Moderne | Avant-Garde Bar Blood Orange Bergamot Flavor
Classic
Cypress Grove Chevre, Inc. | Humboldt Fog
Cold Beverage
Brands of Britain | Fever-Tree Premium Sparkling Lemon; Canada Enterprises | Jin-Ja
Condiment
The Virginia Chutney Company | Spicy Plum Chutney
Confection
The Sticky Toffee Pudding Company | Chocolate Tiffin with Biscuits, Roasted Almonds & Cherries
Cookie
Tate's Bake Shop | Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip
Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer
Korean Delights | We Rub You Spicy Korean BBQ Marinade
Cracker
Lesley Stowe Fine Foods | Salty Date and Almond Raincoast Crisps
Dessert or Dessert Topping
McConnell's Fine Ice Creams | Double Peanut Butter Chip
Diet and Lifestyle Product
Fromagerie Belle Chevre | Belle & The Bees Breakfast Cheese
Food Gift
Bee Raw - Manhattan Rooftop Honey Flight
Frozen Savory
Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. | Old Port Lobster Flatbread
Hot Beverage
Bhakti Chai | Bhakti Chai
Innovation in Packaging Design or Function
HoneyPax | HoneyPax Raw Tupelo Honey Packets
Jam, Preserve, Honey or Nut Butter
Wildly Delicious Fine Foods | Beet & Red Onion Marmalade
Meat, Pâté or Seafood
Creminelli Fine Meats | Campania Handcrafted Italian Salami
New Product
Artisan Biscuits Ltd. | The Fine Cheese Co. Pearls of Pure Goats’ Cheese; Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.; Point Reyes Bay Blue
Non-Food Specialty Item
EcoTensil Inc. | EcoTaster Mini
Oil
Los Chileros | Stöger Cherry Seed Oil
Pasta Sauce
Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods | Ritrovo Selections Casina Rossa Due Formaggi
Pasta, Rice or Grain
Luquire Family Foods | Carolina Creole Stone Ground Grits
Perishable Foodservice Product
Sukhi's Gourmet Indian Foods | Pakora & Aloo Tikki Indian Bites Platter
Product Line
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams | Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
Salad Dressing
NaGo Foods | Ginger Sesame Miso Dressing
Shelf-Stable Foodservice Product
Effie's Homemade | Single Serve Oatcakes
Snack Food
POP! Gourmet Popcorn | Rogue Blue Gourmet Popcorn
Soup, Stew, Bean or Chili
Sarabeth's Kitchen | Legendary Velvety Cream of Tomato Soup
USDA-Certified Organic Product
Pro Ecuador RUNA Hibiscus | Berry Guayusa Tea
Vinegar
Italian Harvest | Sopraffino 12 Year Aged Wine Vinegar