While bacon has been a dominant food theme over the past few years, new flavor trends are making a splash this year, including kale, chia seed and natural grains, chick pea and seaweed snacks, and new global ethnic sauce flavors.
The following are the top five food trends for the year ahead picked by a panel of trend-spotters at the 59th Summer Fancy Food Show (SFFS) in New York, which was held June 30-July 2 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The top trends are:
- Reinvented Frozen Treats, with product examples including Green Wave Smoothies’ Kalelicious Smoothie Pops; Life Ice’s Freeze & Eat Bite-Sized Ices; DeeBee’s Organic Tea Pops; and Bar Gelato by Naia’s Blue Bottle Coffee Bar.
- Grains and Seeds in New Places, with The Chia Co.’s Chia Pods; La Pasta’s Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Kale Ravioli; Flamous Brands’ Sprouted Multigrain Zatar Chips; and Seattle Chocolate Co.’s jcoco Agave Quinoa Sesame Milk Chocolate Bar.
- Global Meal Starters, with Saffron Road’s Harissa, Korean Stir Fry and Thai Red Curry Simmer Sauces; Kaldes Bros. Trading Co.’s Greek Cooking Sauces; Kitchens of Africa’s Maffé Peanut and Yassa Onion Simmer Sauces; and Terrapin Ridge Farms’ Pot Roast Meal Starter.
- Retro Mania Done New, with Callie’s Charleston Biscuits’ Callie’s Cheese Crisps; City Bakery’s Hot Chocolate; Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams’ Orchid Vanilla Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwich; and Southern Culture’s Short Stacks Banana Pudding Pancake Mix.
- Be Your Own Mixologist, with Sociale’s Lavender Martini Mocktails; Hella Bitter’s Cocktail Bitters; Luke’s Heirloom Tomato Juice’s Bloody Delicious Mary Mix; and Owl’s Brew Tea Crafted for Cocktails.
Other trends identified are single-serve snacks with calorie counts, Vietnamese flavors, chickpea and seaweed snacks, maple products, and sweet and savory cookies. Trends with staying power identified at prior Fancy Food Shows include coconut, salted caramel and innovations in gluten-free foods.
The trend-spotters are: Rachel Hofstetter, author, “Cooking Up a Business”; Sara Moulton, Sara’s Weeknight Meals; Kara Nielsen, CCD Innovation; Charles Passy, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network; Denise Purcell, Specialty Food Media; Lauren Purcell and Dana Bowen, “Everyday With Rachael Ray”; Regina Ragone, Family Circle Magazine; Beverly Stephen, Food Arts; and Susie Timm, Girl Meets Fork.
