fbpx
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram RSS Feed

Great Discoveries at the 2022 Fancy Food Show

One of the best things about the Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show (and there are many great things) is learning about new products. It could be a new spin on an older product, or it could be something entirely new altogether. At the 2022 Fancy Food Show (held this year in Las Vegas) we found tons of fun and fantastic (and delicious) new items. From salted edible spoons (!) to salted duck egg chips (!), to this wedding cake made of goat cheese (!) we can’t wait to share it all.

wedding cake made from goat cheese

“Wedding Cake” made from Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog goat cheese

One overarching theme that we kept running into was environmental sustainability. This year more than ever, companies are working to make sure that their products and processes are earth-friendly. So we let that theme guide our selection of some of our favorite new entries into the fancy food market.

Incredible Eats Edible Spoons

First up, let’s talk about the edible spoons because they probably raised the most questions. Incredible Eats makes edible spoons – replacing disposable plastic spoons – that come in sweet and savory flavors.

edible spoons and straws.

Incredible Eats edible spoons and straws. You can eat every spoon and straw in this display!

 

They’re made from a mix of  (non-GMO and vegan) wheat, oats, corn, chickpeas, and brown rice. They can last up to 30 minutes without dissolving in ice cream or even soup. And if you just decide you want to throw it away, they will just degrade like any food matter.

Founder Dinesh Tadepalli told us that he was inspired to create the product given the state of plastic waste and its destruction of the environment.  “I went to an ice cream shop with my kids, and suddenly it hit me; as an educated person, why didn’t I think twice about using plastic spoons?” he said. “My hope is that edible cutlery will bring some fun into the equation while we’re trying to save the planet.” The edible spoons retail (you can shop for them online) from about $9 to $12 for a box of 20. (The company also sells edible straws, another great replacement for plastic.) Incredible Eats has also entered into a new partnership with Dippin’ Dots. They expect to be rolling out edible spoons and Dippin’ Dots at zoos and aquariums around the country.

Let Them Eat Candles Edible Candles

Speaking of things you can now eat… Another fun treat at the 2022 Fancy Food Show were these edible birthday candles from Let Them Eat Candles.

edible birthday candles.

Let Them Eat Candles edible birthday candles

The custom wick only extends about 1/4 inch into the chocolate candle. So you light the wick, the wick will burn for up to 55 seconds, and the chocolate won’t melt. Then you remove the wick and eat the chocolate. The candles retail for about $15.99 for a set of three. You can purchase them on Amazon; at many Nothing Bundt Cake locations, select stores nationwide, and online as well.

Vine to Bar Chocolate

Next on our 2022 Fancy Food Show list is Vine to Bar Chocolate. Vine to Bar makes delicious chocolate with specially processed grape by-products left over after making wine. The inspiration came from group of winemakers who wanted to find a way to use some of the rich-in-nutrients squeezed grapes that are left over (up to 10 billion pounds) after winemaking. They harvested and milled Chardonnay grapes right after juicing, and then dried and milled them, creating a product called WellVine™ Chardonnay Marc. Next they blended the Chardonnay Marc into the finest dark chocolate to create Vine to Bar Chocolates. The WellVine™ Chardonnay Marc contains beneficial nutrients and flavanols (a subtype of flavonoids found in fruits like grapes), and has a natural sweetness that tempers some of the bitterness in dark chocolate.

vine to bar chocolate and wine tasting.

Vine to Bar chocolate and wine tasting

We were fortunate to attend a Vine to Bar chocolate and wine tasting to explore all of the many layers of flavors in the chocolate. These chocolates pair wonderfully with wine (even though there’s no alcohol in the chocolate). We were particularly partial to the Tart Cherry and Cocoa Nibs dark chocolate bar. It had a dark, rich and just faintly sweet flavor – everything you want in a chocolate. You can buy Vine to Bar chocolates online or find a store near you.

Olio Piro Olive Oil

This boutique, award-winning olive oil from Tuscany is among the finest we have ever tasted. What’s different about this olive oil? It’s the precise attention to every detail – from hand-harvesting the olives, to precise milling and storage methods – that yields a pure, rich, high-antioxidant (at least 4mg of Vitamin E per serving) olive oil.

The oil is made from Olivastra Seggianese, an ancient variety of olives unique to this area. The oil makers then blend it with local cultivars including Leccino, Moraiolo and Frantoiano olives, changing the proportions of the blend each year depending on each cultivar’s flavor and balance. The result? A simply exquisite and uniquely pure olive oil.

Olio Piro olive oil.

Olio Piro olive oil from Tuscany.

It’s no wonder that it earned the “Best in the World” for 2021  in its category (blended, medium-fruity) in the prestigious international olive oil guide Flos Olei; and the Wall Street Journal named it “Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Cooking.” You can buy it online here (available in multiple sizes).

 

Crave Brothers Chocolate Mascarpone

Crave Brothers, a family-owned cheese company based in Wisconsin, creates its products with farm-fresh milk and renewable energy. They make a delicious string cheese, mozzarella, and cheese curd. But perhaps the most irresistible product is its rich and creamy mascarpone cheese…particularly the chocolate mascarpone.

Crave Brothers chocolate mascarpone.

Crave Brothers chocolate mascarpone

This velvety cheese is made from fresh sweet cream from the Crave Brothers own dairy herd with chocolate Irish crème. How good is it? It earned the title of Cheese and Butter Grand Champion at the 2021 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association.

We also feel good about eating it because of its eco-friendly credentials. The farm is powered by an anaerobic manure digestion system that breaks down the cow manure to produce methane gas that powers a generator to produce electricity. The system produce enough electricity to power its farm, cheese factory, and 300 area homes. (And the liquid byproduct becomes fertilizer for the fields, while an odorless solid byproduct becomes animal bedding and potting soil.)

You can buy delicious Crave Brothers cheeses online or nationally at Whole Foods or H-E-B grocery stores.

 

Cypress Grove Fog Lights Goat Cheese

Speaking of cheeses, the California-based Cypress Grove offers a variety of delicious goat cheeses – while treating the environment with respect. Cypress Grove’s soft-ripened Humboldt Fog is probably the best known, with a distinctive center line of edible vegetable ash. But if you love Humboldt Fog, you’ll love its new little sister, Fog Lights, which is a petite 6-ounce soft goat cheese. There’s no center line of ash, but you’ll see the ash just inside the rind. It’s the perfect size for a picnic or intimate dinner. And it’s already made waves: It won the Best New Product in the (non-cow, mixed milk) cheese category at the 2021 SOFI awards of the Specialty Food Association.

cypress grove cheese selection.

A peek inside my dream refrigerator with Cypress Grove cheeses.

The goat farm and creamery is also “green.” It has an anaerobic wastewater pre-treatment system that mitigates much of the impact on its local water treatment plant. Cypress Grove has also moved to state-of-the-art equipment that has allowed them to cut gas consumption for heating water by 50 percent and energy consumption for pasteurization by 56 percent.

You can buy Cypress Grove cheeses at most specialty cheese shops and stores with well-stocked cheese departments. They also sell online through Goldbelly.

Irvins Salted Duck Egg Chips

Yes, Salted Duck Egg Chips. That’s kind of a lot to wrap your head around, so let’s break it down. These chips begin with salted duck egg yolks, brined for 30 days, and then steamed and cooked into a savory crumble. (The duck eggs themselves come from Khaki Campbell ducks, which are sourced from a free-range duck farm.) That mixture gets combined with the chips to create a rich and salty coating. The chip flavors include salmon skin (from upcycled, sustainably sourced salmon), potato chips, cassava chips, and a “crunchy roll.” Another key ingredient is fresh curry leaves, baked right into the chips.

irvins salted duck egg chips.

Irvins salted duck egg chips

Why duck eggs? Salted eggs have been a staple of Asian cuisine since about the 5th century. The flavor is rich and deep, with a hint of umami. Even though the salted duck egg chips are relatively new to the United States, they’ve been a huge hit in Singapore.  Now you can find them in Costco as well as many specialty and Asian markets. (Or you can buy them online.)

Runamok Sparkle Syrup

Next we want to catch your eye with this…Runamok Sparkle Syrup. Yes, one of Runamok’s most popular maple syrups is this sparkly version, infused with edible pearlescent mica. Talk about making a magical breakfast! Anyway, Runamok is a family-owned, Vermont based company that started with a foundation of premium organic maple syrup and has expanded to an array of maple and honey-based products and cocktail mixers.

Runamok Sparkle Syrup.

Runamok Sparkle Syrup

According to Runamok, good maple syrup depends on healthy trees, so the company aims to protect the soil, encourage biodiversity, and treat the land gently. Similarly, honey bees rely on pesticide-free flowers, so the company works to preserve (and work with partners who preserve) those healthy landscapes. You can find their syrups at high-end and specialty grocery stores, as well as on Amazon or online at Runamok.

Tomatoes, Tomatoes, and More Tomatoes

Last but not least, we had a chance to see some of our favorite “tomato friends” from the Greatest Tomatoes from Europe campaign, ANICAV, and Carmelina Brands at the 2022 Fancy Food Show. (See our roundup of our Italian tomato tour here.)

Greatest Tomatoes from Europe chefs.

Greatest Tomatoes from Europe chefs

We also enjoyed an amazing tomato-themed dinner at Eataly Las Vegas, created by Chef Diego Puddu. One of our favorite – and one of the most unique – tomato courses was this panna cotta with tomato coulis and fresh basil.

panna cotta with tomato coulis.

Panna Cotta with Tomato Coulis at Eataly Las Vegas

We think there’s nothing as good as a tomato-themed dinner…unless we’re talking about a tomato-themed dinner with friends. We count ourselves lucky anytime we get a chance to learn about, talk about, and enjoy great food with great people.

Let us know if you see – or try – any of these new and specialty products.

Blogger disclosure: I attended the 2022 Fancy Food Show at my own expense, although the Greatest Tomatoes from Europe campaign treated me to dinner. I did not receive compensation for this post. This post contains affiliate links to some products. As an affiliate, I receive a small amount of compensation for qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support of JollyTomato.com

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments yet.

Leave a Reply