2016 New York Summer Fancy Food Show

The New York Summer Fancy Food Show returned in 2016 with a vengeance.  I became stuffed after the first three aisles – as opposed to the usual four – and found that once again, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Korea were the regional highlights, with peanut butter, Italian cheeses, harissa – and condiments in general – and chocolate the stand-out foods.

On the whole, I neglected to take photos at this year’s event, but I have a few things to mention:

Brand name of the show goes to Snob, the Ecuadorian food company specializing in spreads, tinned canned fruits and vegetables, and syrups.

Nightmare: I receive an invitation to spend a night in a room made entirely of parmiggiano, but I’m lactose-intolerant.

The haul. Missing from the photo: lots and lots of seaweed, one of my favorite snacks of all time.

Calabro‘s straciatella was delicious, as were the tiger nut horchata and pinjur, and I’m always on the lookout for spice mixes.

c/o Casablanca Foods

I had a nice brief chat with the folks at Mina Harissa, so they offered me a couple of jars.  Although the parent company – Casablanca Foods – also produces a shakshuka sauce, as I’ve long been in the spicy food camp, their harissa has my number.

In case you’re interested in the back story, Mina is the name of a Moroccan woman who helped cooked for her ten siblings.  After some time in Paris, she moved to New York, where she became a private caterer.

c/o Victoria Gourmet

Woburn, Massachusetts-based Victoria Gourmet was founded in 1998 by Victoria Taylor; her spice blends, salts, peppers, brines, and gift sets can all be found at more than 3000 retailers and various restaurant chains throughout North America.

I’m always open to trying new spices and blends – durian and Sichuan peppercorn, anyone? – and the folks at Victoria Gourmet gladly provided me with a delectable Mediterranean mix that pairs well with my usual humble snack of olive oil, tomatoes, ground cayenne pepper, and a baguette.  Next, I’ll have to check out some of their spicier concoctions, because I can’t seem to eat anything savory without a bit of heat.

Indeed, the 2016 New York Summer Fancy Food Show was another hit for seat belt extension manufacturers and food bloggers.  My hope for the 2017 show is that the Balkans and the Caucasus have a much larger space to show off their underappreciated cuisines, and that China’s awfully large – and forlorn – space is replaced with an extra restroom.  Believe it, it would see far more traffic.

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Did you go to the show?  Whether or not you did, what are your thoughts about it?

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