The 55th annual Summer Fancy Food Show: Brooklyn goes global, New York goes local

RIck's Picks, one of New York City's spectacular entries.

Last week, the country’s largest city got a little bigger. Around the waistline, that is. A crowd of over 24,000 attended the 55th annual Summer Fancy Food Show, which ended June 30th, and despite reports of fewer and smaller samples being distributed by exhibitors, indulgence was never more than a hand’s reach away.     

There was haggling, resourcefulness, and countless product giveaways. The samplings ranged from household standards to the ultra-exotic, and practically all of the 140,000 products were available in a nosh-able size for the quick-moving show visitors to try. There was plenty of olive oil, truffle butter, double-smoked fish, Jamaican spiced jerk patties, jelly beans, gelato, Caribbean strong rum, and reduced Sonoma wine drizzle. And cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.

Even with the tepid economy, the three-day event, the largest specialty food trade show in North America, achieved its highest attendance number in over a decade. It was championed as a success by its organizers, The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), and at least several exhibitors seemed to agree.

There were some dubious innovations, like microwavable mussels in specially designed heating containers, and some intriguing ones, like green-tea infused enoki mushrooms (the mushrooms were enriched with only the nutritional benefits of the tea, not the taste, fortunately). For the most part however, the predominant trend at the show was taking on traditional, beloved ingredients and expanding on them creatively.

Two of the most prevalent palette-pleasing ingredients were fruits: blood oranges and yuzu, a relative newcomer to Western markets, were utilized in a range of sweet and savory products. Both ingredients found their way to the winner’s circle at the SOFI awards show, with Sarabeth’s Kitchen taking a gold SOFI for its Blood Orange Marmalade and Jayone Foods Inc. winning the best hot beverage category for it’s Yuzu Citrus Tea.  

Another sensation throughout the fest was the combination of sea salt and chocolate. That seemingly perplexing yet mouth-watering combination was responsible for two SOFI gold awards.     

One of those went to Mari’s New York for their delectable Caramel Sea Salt Brownie, which was just one of the many companies representing the New York City area. New York state had it’s usual featured section on the lower floor of the Javits Center, but an unusually strong crop of city entrees provided some of the best tastes the show had to offer. From the deeply colorful jars of assorted pickled vegetables from Rick's Picks, to the savory, mustard-filled bite of artisanal microgreens from Long Island firm Koppert Cress USA, and the inventive flavors of biscotti from new-comer Lottie Biscotti (think trail mix and pistachio cranberry), there was definitive proof that New Yorkers cherish their home eats just as strongly as they do their dining-out experiences.

The latter company was featured at the Brooklyn Goes Global booth, a long-standing joint effort by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Citibank to provide exposure to the borough’s local fine food production industry. Brooklyn Goes Global is one of the Chamber’s signature programs, and it really shine’s a spotlight on the burrough’s emerging food companies,” said Chamber of Commerce Vice President Rick Russo. Without the chamber’s support companies like Lottie Biscotti might have a harder time surviving in the crowded specialty food market place. “The financing and the other services the chamber provides really helps companies like this get off the ground," said Russo.

Brooklyn, and the New York area for that matter, could be proud that extra help or not, their products stood out among the sea of delicate treats to be had. Not that there exists a shortage of 'artisanal' labeled products in the city, but now there are a few more to call its own.

More info: The NASFT's official homepage, Brooklyn Goes Global.