Fancy Food Show July 8-10 2007

[Gastro888]

  The Italian-American companies cooked their pasta past al dente while te European companies hit it on the mark. 

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I'm curious what you mean about on the mark vs al dente--I haven't been to Italy so don't know what the true Italian way is--I cook pasta until there is just the slightest bit of bite to it--what do they do in Italy? Inquiring minds want to know!

Zoe

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Limp, mushy and without a bite. That's what I got when I sampled pasta at the Italian-American booths. The European vendors cooked their pasta in the manner in which you describe.

But when you're hungry...

[docsconz]

It must be very difficult for the olive oil and olive vendors to stand out. There were so many from so many different parts of the world. The same can be said for chocolate, pasta, cheeses, teas, salts, energy drinks, coffees and so many other food product classes. The amazing thing is that products in these and other classes did stand out. Some stood out amongst others of the same type and some stood out in general.

This was my first visit to a Fancy Food Show, the trade show sponsored by the The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT), a not-for-profit business trade association established in 1952 to foster trade, commerce and interest in the specialty food industry. The summer show in New York City, held at the Jacob Javitz Center, sprawls over several levels of this massive complex. Displays are often bunched by nationality or food type, though no real or consistent order is discernible. For example, there were several clusters of Italian or Spanish booths throughout the floor plan. As such, I found it fun simply to wander throughout the aisles and explore. As a person without any specific goals such as tasting olive oils to buy for a specialty store, I was able to not focus on any one thing and get an overall sense of what was available, which was a lot. That being said, of course I still had my personal biases and tended to gravitate towards certain things. Given the overwhelming number of examples available, I tasted very few olive oils and I avoided sweets other than chocolate, fruit and ice creams. Most packaged foods such as jarred pasta sauces, pre-made meals and such I simply walked past. Food items that caught my attention tended to be special and/or unique. I indulged heavily at purveyors like D'Artagnan, where I had the opportunity to meet and talk shop with the lovely Ariane Daguin while enjoying their foie gras mousse , magret and breakfast sausages amongst other delights and Valrhona, where I discovered what for me was the chocolate product of the show – The mint chocolate twigs (Sarments du Médoc line) from the affiliated Mademoiselle de Margaux. This product combined spearmint and dark Valhrona chocolate in such a way that the mint blended perfectly with the chocolate. Neither overshadowed the other, but instead each enhanced the other’s effect without being overly sweet or assertive.

Water – I initially scoffed at the notion of so many different fancy packages of nature’s most basic ingredient, but I very much appreciated the many samples available as they were perfect for quenching thirst and washing down all the flavorsome nibbles. I was also pleased to find my local Saratoga water at the show. It was interesting to note differences amongst the different samplings, which included in addition to the water from Saratoga, New York, others from Iceland, Wales, Spain, Italy, the Catskills, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Norway and elsewhere. The biggest differences were to be found amongst the sparklers, for which the fineness of the fizz and the texture of the waters varied considerably. I cannot say that I was able to discern a clear favorite, however. I also scoffed at salt - until I tasted the full line of Halen Mon from Wales. I found their smoked salt particularly intriguing.

The international nature of the show was astoundingly clear with representatives from all over the world. Having recently been to South Africa and South America, I was especially interested in their offerings. Pisco Sours made with Pancho Fierro pisco by E. Copello from Peru transported me right back to Cusco. Another thing I really enjoyed in Peru, but have missed since I have been home are cereals made from quinoa and amaranth. I was quite pleased to find them being promoted at Cusco Andean Products, a booth featuring diverse products from the Cusco area. Africa in general and Southern Africa in particular had a significant presence with products promoting specialties of the area including Cape Malay spice rubs from Cape Town’s Nomu, some magnificent passion fruit juices from SINA Gérard of Rwanda as well as red palm oil by Jungle Products from West Africa and nectars from exotic fruits such as baobab and saba from Mali by way of Mam Cocktail. From the north of Africa, specifically the country of Tunisia, I had a delicious tour through the products of Les Moulins Mahjoub and at another stall, a taste of various products made with Arganza Argan oil.

A British Company was marketing Madagascan equitrade chocolate under the Malagasy label. The excellent chocolate could be eaten by all without conscience. Given concerns about overfishing and the apparent unsustainability of some current fishing practices, another fine product that can be enjoyed guiltlessly is Kona Kampachi - open water farmed Kampachi from Hawaii. The sashimi samples offered were pristine and delicious. Perhaps not so guilt free, but equally delicious were cod cheeks and bacalá sampled at Despaña Brand foods.

Speaking of Spanish foods, a subject that I am enchanted by, I was quite disappointed by the lack of product at the Embutidos Fermin booth. I had been looking forward to enjoying their Iberico products as much as anything at the show, only to discover that their ability to export to the American market has for the time being been revoked secondary to FDA inspection concerns. I managed to content myself, however, with some fine 18 month aged Jamon Serrano from Redondo Iglesias. I can only hope that this is but a short term downturn regarding the availability of these wonderful, but expensive Iberico products in the US. Spain was additionally well represented by many olive oils, wines, and other products including the amazing chocolates and candies of the Catalan pastry and chocolate star, Oriol Balaguer, who was there in person. Though this was his first ever visit to NYC, he plans to be back in September for the second Starchefs International Chefs Congress. His booth was a great spot for networking as I also ran into Will Blunt of Starchefs, Michael, Wendy and Max London of Saratoga’s Mrs. London's Patisserie, Shola Olunloyo of Philadelphia Studio Kitchen fame and nearby, the noted Mediterranean food writer, Nancy Harmon Jenkins. Balaguer’s were not the only Catalan delights, though, in the Power-Selles Imports booth. Blanxart chocolate was also represented and other standout products included the sweet Muscat and Pedro Ximenez vinegars of the Alicante based Sotaroni.

Fortunately, in addition to the waters mentioned above, there were many other wet products to sample. Juices, energy drinks and teas seemed to be everywhere. Gojiberry and acai were flavors were prolific, though I found them ultimately uninteresting. I was pleased to find a lightening of sweetness amongst many of the products, especially the prepared teas, of which my favorites remain the various flavors of Ito En and Honest Tea. I particularly enjoyed the new Ito-En line of Dr. Andrew Weil for Tea. Though the name is a bit unwieldy, the products themselves were refreshing and subtle. The turmeric, previously known predominantly as a coloring agent in various curries, was particularly notable as a novel and good tasting product. If it has any of the health benefits claimed for it, so much the better. The tea products that impressed me the most, however, were the loose tea blends of the German company, Dethelefsen & Balk. The perfumes wafting out of the various sample cups were spectacular and varied. The passion-fruit rooibos was one stunner amongst many others in their line.

Plenty of interesting fruit was on display. I had my first opportunity to sample much-heralded Indian mangoes. The mid-season variety I sampled had good, strong mango flavor, but not appreciably superior to some Mexican and Caribbean mangos. A significant improvement though was the lack of fiber to get stuck in between teeth - the one drawback to mango eating in my experience. From Chile, I sampled some jarred carica, a member of the papaya family and tasty in its own right. Though not in the fresh fruit category, I enjoyed the newest products from the makers of Cranberry Fool, a product I was initially turned on to by David Rosengarten through his Report. In addition to their established Cranberry Fool and Caramel Sin Products, the small Califonia company now offers a Pear Fool and a Tomato Fool. All of these make great accompaniments to cheese courses.

I probably sampled more cheeses than any other category of food at the show. In addition to the wonderful Parmigianos, Pecorinos and Gorgonzolas there were plenty of other delights. Especially notable from Italy were the cheeses of Latteria Perenzin, particularly their medieval styled “Castel”, their Montasio and the “millefoglie al marzemino.”

The bleu cheeses of Rogue Creamery in Oregon are possibly the finest I have had that are made in the US. The cheddars of Cabot and Grafton do Vermont proud and the Vermont Butter and Cheese Company have added a line of small, excellent French style goat cheeses that I was previously unaware of. I had the pleasure of meeting the renowned Paula Lambert of The Mozzarella Company. Her cheeses are as charming as she is and she is quite charming. In addition to a long time favorite of mine, the Hoja Santa Goat Cheese, I particularly enjoyed the Queso Fresco with Chiles and Epazote. Amongst all these wonderful cheeses, though, one stood out as being particularly noteworthy – the Truffle Tremor from Cypress Grove. In addition to meeting Paula Lambert, meeting Mary Keehn was one of the highlights of the show for me. That became even more the case after tasting her newest cheese, one that is not quite on the market. As the name implies, this cheese incorporates truffle flavor into it. The flavor though is subtle and doesn’t overpower the cheese. As with the mint in the Sarments du Medoc mentioned above, it adds a discernible, but harmonious element to the final product. This cheese is simply delicious. It should be released for sale by the end of August.

Meeting legends like Paula Lambert and Mary Keehn was a great aspect of the show, but so was the chance to see old friends like Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Oriol Balaguer and Rick Bayless amongst others.

Certain Japanese products have achieved legendary status in gastronomic circles. Some of these have until recently been necessarily of Japanese origin. That is beginning to change though. One of the more interesting exhibitors at the show was the South Carolina based Real Wasabi LLC, growers and marketers of the flavorful rhizome. It wasn’t long ago that wasabi cultivation started in the US. An article in the most recent edition of The Art of Eating tells that story, however, one thing that article got wrong is that the Pacific Northwest is no longer the only part of the US in which wasabi japonica is grown. The Real Wasabi Co. is growing and selling wasabi from the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.

In addition to wasabi, wagyu beef is another legendary Japanese product that is now available outside of Japan. Iowa raised grilled Wagyu beef samples from Imperial Wagyu Beef had that sensational fat-popping quality and deliciousness that has come to be associated with the best Wagyu.

The products I have touched on were only a small part of the show. Undoubtedly I missed much more than I experienced, but there is one more product that I must mention that impressed me tremendously. The micro herbs and micro vegetables from Koppert Cress USA were some of the most interesting and tasty that I have ever seen and tasted. They are grown and shipped in special palates. Varieties sampled included various cresses and shisos, but the most electrifying taste of the entire show for me was that of the Sechuan Button. Somewhat like the effect of licking a twelve volt battery, but infinitely more delicious. This was the most unique taste that I experienced during the entire show and then some. That taste and the show as a whole left me buzzing.

[gfron1]

John, thanks for a great report. I usually attend the San Fran show, and then this year the Chicago show (both because they are more aligned with my distribution channels). Having done these for a number of years, I now spend less than a half a day looking at products that really have interest to me - the final entry in your report is the sole product that stood out to me from Chicago - the micro herbs. Knowing that it is unrealistic for me to get them in my store, I was still so impressed with their taste and texture. So many cuinary possibilities exploded in my mind when I tried them and I've continued to think about them for months afterwards. Thanks again.

[molto e]

Doc,

Next show that you cover, it is time for the Docsconz Podcast!! Thanks for the overview of the event and great pictorial content.

Molto E

[rmillman]

The products I have touched on were only a small part of the show. Undoubtedly I missed much more than I experienced, but there is one more product that I must mention that impressed me tremendously. The micro herbs and micro vegetables from Cress USA were some of the most interesting and tasty that I have ever seen and tasted. They are grown and shipped in special palates. Varieties sampled included various cresses and shisos, but the most electrifying taste of the entire show for me was that of the Sechuan Button. Somewhat like the effect of licking a twelve volt battery, but infinitely more delicious. This was the most unique taste that I experienced during the entire show and then some. That taste and the show as a whole left me buzzing.

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Based on your comments I spent some time on the internet and found Coosemans Boston, http://www.coosemansboston.com/ , carries both the sechuan buttons and Sakura cress from koppert cress, http://www.koppertcress.nl/index.php?PageID=508 .

Although this is at the wholesale market area in Chelsea, MA, they sell to walk ins.

Got back a couple of hours ago and must say I cannot wait for this weekend. I have electrified may tastebuds already with a quick mixed sechuan apple sorbet (apple soda, buttons and liquid nitrogen, I work in a biotech company) and cannot wait to try some more things with them.

[docsconz]

The products I have touched on were only a small part of the show. Undoubtedly I missed much more than I experienced, but there is one more product that I must mention that impressed me tremendously. The micro herbs and micro vegetables from Cress USA were some of the most interesting and tasty that I have ever seen and tasted. They are grown and shipped in special palates. Varieties sampled included various cresses and shisos, but the most electrifying taste of the entire show for me was that of the Sechuan Button. Somewhat like the effect of licking a twelve volt battery, but infinitely more delicious. This was the most unique taste that I experienced during the entire show and then some. That taste and the show as a whole left me buzzing.

←

Based on your comments I spent some time on the internet and found Coosemans Boston, http://www.coosemansboston.com/ , carries both the sechuan buttons and Sakura cress from koppert cress, http://www.koppertcress.nl/index.php?PageID=508 .

Although this is at the wholesale market area in Chelsea, MA, they sell to walk ins.

Got back a couple of hours ago and must say I cannot wait for this weekend. I have electrified may tastebuds already with a quick mixed sechuan apple sorbet (apple soda, buttons and liquid nitrogen, I work in a biotech company) and cannot wait to try some more things with them.

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Cool. The buttons are one of the most stimulating things I have ever eaten. Did anyone else try your sorbet? What kind of reactions did you elicit?

Another cool thing I tried that slipped my mind earlier was grilled Haloumi Cheese from Cypress. This was very good. I would think that it would be more popular here in the US than it apparently is. I wonder if its relative obscurity is due to lack of availability or lack of familiarity. Of course, those two things can go hand in hand.

[foodie52]

A friend of mine won "Outstanding Baked Product" with her English Lemon Pudding.

Yum

[docsconz]

A friend of mine won "Outstanding Baked Product" with her English Lemon Pudding.

Yum

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Looks like a great product. That was a whole class that I avoided except for chocolate and ice creams, which I dabbled in It wasn't that those products weren't attractive. I just needed to keep my caloric intake under a modicum of control.

[docsconz]

Having gone to the FFS earlier this month is still paying dividends. I received a package in the mail today with samples of three different varieties of pasta from a company that looked interesting, but did not have anything to taste at the show (at least not that I was made aware of) - Rossi Pasta from Marietta, Ohio. Although I am not generally a big fan of flavored pastas, I decided to try the "Italian Spice" Linguini with a simple sauce of fresh cherry tomatoes that I bought today at the Farmers' Market with olive oil and garlic. It was delicious! The flavors of the herb-imbued pasta came through nicely without being overly assertive. These included oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, black and cayenne peppers. I look forward to trying the other two including saffron linguini and fettucine with spinach, basil and garlic.