The burgeoning food trends sound like a throwback to caveman diets: fish is the most popular protein, honey is the flavor of the day and venison is an upgrade from charcuterie boards.
That’s evident from the hundreds of items on display at the Summer Fancy Food Show, a trade show put on by the Specialty Food Association that has built a reputation as a place to spot the next big flavors, foods and drinks set to dominate menus and grocery store shelves. The annual show returned to New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this week and runs from Sunday through Tuesday.
More than 2,400 companies exhibited their food and beverage products for attendees, including restaurateurs, food specialists and trend spotters. show trends Examples of products that are finding their way into the tastes of the average consumer include yuzu, mushrooms and advanced alcohol substitutes.
Previous shows have also been a springboard for smaller brands looking to reach a wider audience. Honest Tea, Ben & Jerry’s and Tate’s Bake Shop are among the companies that attended the show in its early days on their way to becoming household consumer brands now owned by the industry’s biggest players.
Here are some highlights from this year's Summer Fancy Food Show:
Honey – as a flavouring
Owl Creek Organics & Natural Products' range of honey spreads at the Summer Fancy Foods Show
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
People have been eating honey for thousands of years, but it is now taking centre stage as a flavouring for some food and drink manufacturers. In the SFA’s preliminary report on the show, the trendspotters singled out honey and highlighted its health benefits.
Honey was the star of both food and drink during the show. Green Bee showed off its honey soda, which contains a Honeycomb Cider flavor. Owl Creek Organics & Natural Flavors showcased honey spreads, with flavors ranging from caffe mocha to lemon poppy seed. And the Dutch company Klepper & Klepper used honey as a flavor for their licorice.
Canned fish
Krill Arctic Foods' canned krill meat
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
In the past, canned fish was mainly sold at stands in the Spanish and Portuguese pavilions. But this year, exhibitors showed their canned fish all over the show floor.
TikTok helped fuel the canned fish trend last year, boosting sales of canned sardines. Now, specialty food retailers are responding.
This isn’t the canned tuna of yesteryear. There are more flavors, different types of seafood, and trendy packaging. Wildfish Cannery, an Alaskan company founded in 1987, showed off a new retro design for its sockeye salmon, giving it a more upscale look. Krill Arctic Foods showed off its canned krill meat, which may not have the same flashiness on the packaging, but it does brag about the food’s nutritional profile.
Fish to take away
Acme Smoked Fish's Lox in a Box kits are on display at the company's booth
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
Exhibitors also showed new ways to eat fish on the go, hoping to tap into consumers' desire for convenience and more protein in their diets. The association named “satisfying snacks” as one of the trends it's watching.
Acme Smoked Fish highlighted its new Lox in a Box snack kits, available with cream cheese or avocado. Legend of Master International, an Asian food supplier, sampled its Kani fish cake sticks, made to eat as string cheese or for cooking.
Improved charcuterie
Fossil Farms' range of salami flavors including lamb and bison
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
Like canned fish, the popularity of charcuterie boards owes much to social media, where users can dazzle their followers with elaborate displays of preserved meats, cheeses and fruits.
Companies at the Summer Fancy Food Show showed off some new options to take charcuterie to the next level — especially salami. Tempesta Artisan Salumi offered black truffle flavored salami, while Salt & Twine's selection included a mezcal and salted lime flavor.
But exhibitors didn't just have fun with the flavors. Some look beyond pork to make the dried meat. Driftless Provisions' salami uses elk, venison and bison in addition to pork. Fossil Farms' salami lineup included lamb and wagyu beef.
Combine snacks
The Sel Gris chips from Wine Chips are intended to be combined with sparkling wines
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
What's a cocktail or glass of wine without a snack to go with it? Both Wine Chips and The Drinks Bakery targeted consumers who need help finding the perfect combination and showcased their snacks, specially created to be eaten with specific alcoholic beverages.
The Drinks Bakery, a Scottish company, sells “drink biscuits.” The cookies with parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts and basil (called “crackers” in the US) can be eaten with about 20 drinks, from a non-alcoholic lager to a whisky highball.
Wine Chips, on the other hand, sells thick-cut potato pieces made specifically for snacking while sipping wine. For example, the Sel Gris flavor, named after the French sea salt, is made to pair with any sparkling wine, such as Champagne.
