2022 Summer Fancy Food Show, Day 1

The Specialty Food Assoociation’s Summer Fancy Food Show opened on Sunday, June 12, with many expressing how happy they were being back to the show in person. Here are some snippets from today’s floor:

SNAX showed up with its variety of Cookie Pops (I’m munching on the newest flavor, Nutter Butter, as I write this). It all started with a Butterfinger/popcorn combo and grew from there. I’m saving my bag of Butterfinger popcorn for the plane ride home. The packaging includes the logo of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (soon there’s be a QR code) and there are several flavors especially made for the foundation and SNAX to give to kids who learn about broadcasting and new media in the Seacrest Studios set up in pediatric hospitals. SNAX donates to the foundation and encourages individuals to donate, too.

The snacking company also has gluten-free Penne Straws, made from lentils and white beans, in various flavors such as Marinara, Cinnamon Churro and Mac ‘n Cheese.

I stopped by O’Food‘s booth with its first frozen food offering, Mandu, Korean dumplings, and Jongga products. Jongga makes the most popular packaged kimchi in Korea and is breaking into U.S. distribution. They were serving up Kimchi Grilled Cheese Sandwhich. It was maybe a bit early in the day to be eating kimchi, but it’s delicious.

Keep an eye out for De Nigris‘ newest import, which ironically is its IGP certified Balsalmic Vinegar of Modena, honoring a strict tradition of quality balsamic.

I was honored to meet Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, and her daughter (and CEO in training) Misha. Julie has an extraordinary story of fleeing the Soviet Union (in what is now Ukraine) with her parents, going through Rome before landing in Chicago with little money, no home and speaking no English. With the help of refugee settlement groups, the family eventually settled into American life. Her mother began importing Slavic foods (and Nutella!) when she realized there were few homeland foods here. It was her father who realized that American had everything but kefir. He built a plant while Julie’s mom imported the kefir used to create Lifeway. I tasted the strawberry Lifeway Kefir (yum) and the company’s newest oat milk (the Peaches and Cream was delicious).

Julie has launched a special package of Charity Relief Kefir cultured whole milk in blue and gold packaging, to raise funds for Ukraine relief. You’ll be reading more about Julie and her amazing journey in the August issue of Gourmet News.

It was great to see our friend Patrick Ford of Ford’s Foods behind the counter at the Bone Suckin’ Sauce booth, dishing out the company’s newest sauces, Sweet Southern in original and (my favorite) hot. Later, he represented his mother, Sandra Jackson Ford, who was inducted into the SFA Hall of Fame, 2021 class.

Our friends at Stonewall Kitchen had many of its family of brands on display. I tasted ther Bloody Mary Mix — what a great way to fit all your veggies in (it was a “virgin” version).

I was eager to meet the sibling team, Diana Hecht and Tony Rabinovich, whose family has been making perogies for decades in Canada and now is launching Holy Perogy, frozen ready to heat packages of perogies. Diana swears they taste just as good as the family recipe served in restaurants. Unfortunately, due to all the restrictions on serving food at trade shows, they weren’t offering samples. Diana is the extroverted face of the product, too.

Chef Mario Carbone of Carbone Fine Food offered to show folks how he made meatballs and the booth quickly filled with eager students. I couldn’t hear him, but I got to taste the meatballs (melt in your mouth, which makes them a tad dangerous because that only makes me want to eat more) and … I got the recipe and coupon!

Crispy Filled, Inc. launched the rebranding of its Rösti brand of crispy filled potato products, under the new brand name, Rösti Stuft Spuds. The change in brand name, accompanied with a re-design of the carton graphics was made in response to market research data and consumer feedback received during the brand’s first full year in the market. I mean, hey, potatoes and cheese – what’s not to like? I loved them.

One of my favorite products so far is Jordan’s Skinny Syrups in the Mermaid flavor (it actually is tropical citrus and bright blue, like blue curacao). With no calories or sugar, it makes water taste like a cocktail. They encourage people not to be shy squirting the concoction from the plastic bottle, but not TOO enthusiastic like the poor guy in white pants who walked away from the booth with blue-streaked white pants. The company also makes no calories/no sugar mixes, too. I tasted the Margarita mix, which was lightly sweet and would be perfect with a splash of lime. I love the woman-owned company’s tag line, “Strong Drinks, Strong Women.

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