Budding food trends sound like a throwback to the caveman diet: fish is the hottest protein, honey is the flavor du jour, and game meat is an upgrade to charcuterie boards.
That’s according to the hundreds of items on display at the Summer Fancy Food Show, a trade show hosted by the Specialty Food Association that has built a reputation as the place to spot the next big flavors, foods and drinks to dominate menus and the grocery store shelves. The annual show returned to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York this week, Sunday through Tuesday.
More than 2,400 companies showcased their food and beverage offerings for attendees, including restaurant operators, specialty food retailers and trendsetters. Past show trends aimed at the palettes of mainstream consumers include yuzu, mushrooms and sophisticated alcohol substitutes.
Previous shows have also been a springboard for small brands looking for a wider audience. Honest Tea, Ben & Jerry’s and Tate’s Bake Shop are among the companies that attended the show from their early days on their way to becoming household names that are now among the industry’s biggest players.
Here are some highlights from this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show:
Honey – as a flavor
Owl Creek Organics & Natural Products honey line rolls out at Summer Fancy Foods Show
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
Humans have been eating honey for thousands of years, but it has taken center stage as a flavor with some food and beverage manufacturers. In the SFA’s preliminary report on the show, trendsetters called out honey, noting its health benefits.
Honey was the star of both food and drinks throughout the show. Green Bee showed off their Honey Soda, which includes a Honeycomb Cider flavor. Owl Creek Organics & Natural Flavors introduced honey spreads, with flavors ranging from brown mocha to lemon poppyseed. 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 previous years, canned fish was mainly relegated to stalls in the Spanish and Portuguese stands. But this year, exhibitors displayed their canned fish products throughout the fair.
TikTok helped fuel the canned fish trend last year by boosting sales of canned sardines. Now specialty food companies are responding.
This is not the canned tuna of yesteryear. There are more flavors, different varieties of seafood and more modern packaging. Wildfish Cannery, an Alaska-based company founded in 1987, showed off a new retro design for its sockeye salmon, giving it a more upscale feel. Krill Arctic Foods has introduced canned krill meat, which may not have the same glamor on its packaging, but boasts the food’s nutritional profile.
Fish to go
Acme Smoked Fish’s Lox in a Box kits are on display at the company’s booth
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
Exhibitors also showcased new ways to eat fish on the go, hoping to tap into consumers’ desire for convenience and more protein in their diet. The association named “satiating 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, tested its Kani Fish Cake Sticks, made to eat like string cheese or for cooking.
Upgraded charcuterie
Fossil Farms line 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 showcased some new options to elevate deli meats — especially salami. Tempesta Artisan Salumi offered black truffle-flavored salami, while Salt & Twine’s selection included mezcal-flavored and salted lime.
But exhibitors weren’t just having fun with the flavors. Some are looking beyond pork to make the cured meat. Driftless Provisions salami uses elk, deer and bison along with pork. Fossil Farms’ line of salami included lamb and wagyu beef.
Snack combination
Wine Chips’ Sel Gris flavored crisps are meant to be paired with sparkling wines
Amelia Lucas | CNBC
What’s a cocktail or a glass of wine without a snack to go with it? Targeting consumers who need help finding the perfect pairing, both Wine Chips and The Drinks Bakery have introduced their snacks, created to be eaten with specific alcoholic beverages.
Drinks Bakery, a Scottish company, sells ‘drinks biscuits’. Parmesan, roasted pine nuts and basil biscuits (called crackers in the US) can be eaten with about 20 drinks, from a non-alcoholic lager to a whiskey highball.
Wine Chips, on the other hand, sells chunky chips specially made for snacking while drinking wine. For example, the taste of Sel Gris, named after the French sea salt, goes well with any sparkling wine, such as champagne.
