The 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show, held from Jan. 17 to 19 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, remained one of the best places to spot the newest trends in specialty food.
With more than 1,500 exhibitors from around the world showcasing 80,000 different specialty food and beverages, there were plenty of items for the Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Panel to consider.
At every Fancy Food Show, the Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Panel, which consists of top food journalists and consultants, makes every effort to identify the top five trends in food. This year, the panel settled on the following top trends, each represented by particular products:
Southeast (Asia) Meets West
Little Red Dot Kitchen – Bak Kwa meat snacks
Saffron Road – Tandoori Seasoned Chicken Nuggets
Wei Kitchen – Shallot Oil
Hey Boo – Thai Iced Tea Coconut Caramels
Grazing on Grass
Organic Valley – Vanilla Grassmilk Yogurt
The New Primal – Grass-Fed Beef Jerky
Dahlicious, Inc. – Organic Cucumber Mint Lemon Lassi with grass-fed milk
Steve’s Ice Cream – Made with grass-fed milk
Pushing Protein
Bitty Foods – Chiridos – snacks made with cricket flour
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods – Cinnamon Hemp Heart Bites
Explore Cuisine – Organic Edamame Spaghetti
Chicago Bar Company – Chocolate Sea Salt RXBAR
By the Cup
Ricebliss – Acai & Chia Brown Rice Snack
Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods – Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad
Purely Elizabeth – Cranberry Pecan Ancient Grain Granola Plus Puffs
LonoLife – Chicken Bone Broth in Recyclable K-Cup
Purple Reigns
Back to the Roots – Organic Stoneground Purple Corn Flakes
Love Beets – Smoky BBQ Shredded Beets
Lotus Foods – Purple Potato and Brown Rice Ramen
The Republic of Tea – Sonoma Cabernet Iced Tea
The Trendspotter Panel consisted of individuals who follow and write about food trends for leading media outlets and consulting firms. This year’s panel included: Emma Christensen, editor for The Kitchn, Sarah Fritsche, staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle; Christine Gallary, food and cooking editor for The Kitchn; Kara Nielsen, culinary director for Sterling-Rice Group; Denise Purcell, editor-in-chief of Specialty Food Magazine and Specialty Food News; Nancy Hopkins, senior deputy editor of food & entertainment for Better Homes & Gardens; Ashley Koff, RD, editorial director of The Ashley Koff Approved (AKA) List; Amy Sherman, freelance food writer; and Jerry James Stone, cookbook author.