FANCY FOODS FEST

From pigs to pandas to pickles, New York City’s 2009 Fancy Food Show exhibited porcine power

By Alexa Weibel
Published: July 16th, 2009 | 12:25pm

Best in Show quirkiness peppers my thoughts whenever I think “convention center;” with a variety of dazzling products and some comical duds, this year’s 55th Summer Fancy Food show was no exception. There were unappealing, outlandish products (Cocoa Puffs lip gloss, or Coneinn Pizza, which wraps pizza up like an ice cream cone and alarmingly boasts its “pleasant and acceptable smell and taste”) as well as exemplary artisanal products — more local and international cheeses and hand-cured meat cuts than have perhaps ever before occupied one space; there were people dressed in bacon costumes, Panda costumes, traditional international outfits; and there was even a conversion that took place — J&D’s BaconSalt got me to believe their mantra, that “everything should taste like bacon.”

Trends revolved around the porcine and portioning. From sliced bacon, lardoons, to soppressata and Baconnaise, the pig was popular. It was cheesified, in Cugin’s zesty Cheesy Bacon! Dipz; it was chocolated, in Vosges’ sweet Bacon Bar; it was cured and served whole; it was even microwaved — successfully! — in the WowBacon, a microwave cooker that eliminates the fat while preserving the crispiness of the beast. Portion control was also prominent, catering to those watching their wallets and waistlines alike.

It would be impossible to give a nod to every variety exhibited at the food fest, but I suppose leaving both days with a stomachache should be some indication of the abundance of delectable treats. That being said, here’s my top ten list of the most exciting products of the event:

10. LA TOURANGELLE OILS Using methods perfected by the French artisanal oil mills of yore, La Tourangelle set up shop in Woodland, California, hand-roasting a variety of nuts—creating 100% pure oils in a variety of flavors: walnut, hazelnut, almond, sesame, grapeseed, and even pumpkin-seed and white truffle. The oils are so refined they even blend well into ice cream—I was lured over by the sesame ice cream, which was unctuously delicious.

9. LA ORQUIDEA CHOCOLATE This Tarapoto, Peru, company creates guilt-free chocolate—if namely for its creation, a project designed to provide farmers with a sustainable source of income. Beyond fair trade practices, the company offers its workers a say in its dealings and has established a fund to protect the rainforest. Exemplary company morals aside, they make fantastic products—their milk chocolate and coconut confections form a perfect union.

8. MAYA KAIMAL SPICY KETCHUP Sometimes messing with a good thing is a good idea. Ketchup, the simple ingredient created and perfected by Heinz, gets a spicy boost thanks for Maya Kaimal. “A little sweet, a little spicy, a little Indian,” this all-natural vegan condiment is infused with an extra kick provided by cumin, cayenne and paprika, then added sweetness thanks to brown sugar and caramelized onions.

7. BEE RAW HONEY Working with beekeepers across the U.S., Bee Raw creates varietal honey that actually allows you to taste the products’ floral roots. Ranging from the California Wild Black Sage (“mild, with a mouth-watering hint of pepper”) to the Maine Wild Raspberry Honey (“with a unique raspberry finish intertwined with the aroma of warm cocoa butter”), these honeys will have you buzzing.

6. TERRE EXOTIQUE Adventurous discoveries make unique products—a pepper plantation in Cameron led Erwann de Kerros to develop this foreign line of salts and seasonings. I’m eager to try the Penja Pepper Syrup and the vanilla sea salt, but have added their coriander sea salt to my regular rotation to elevate simple dishes.

5. ROGUE CREAMERY CHEDDARS Based in Oregon, this company—recognized by its award-winning Oregon Blue cheese, the first on the West Coast—takes a conservative approach at perfection, creating divine Lavender Cheddar Cheese and Rosemary Cheddar Cheese, with equal success at its more adventurous approaches, with Chocolate Stout Cheddar Cheese and the Morimoto Soba Ale Cheddar.

4. LEGRAND LEMON CONFIT & PUMPKIN SEED AROMATIC SAUCE Combining an appreciation of European cuisine and healthy, natural products, Canadian company LeGrand packages a variety of cold-pressed sauces in Capri Sun-inspired pouches. From a masterful vegan Garden Pesto, to the tangy, full-flavored Spice Olive & Sundried Tomato Tapenade, to an array of aromatic sauces (the Lemon Confit & Pumpkin Seed sauce positively bursted with flavor), these resealable, recyclable pouches add zip and depth to just about any dish.

3. VOSGES MO’S BACON BAR Apparently bacon has successfully made the transition from breakfast to dessert, as Vosges Haut Chocolate’s “Mo’s Bacon Bar” proves, combining applewood smoked bacon, alderwood-smoked salt and a deep milk chocolate (45% cacao) into a product of enormous depth, whose ingredients fuse together impeccably. If you’re feeling especially bold, spring for their spicy-sweet Red Fire ice cream, with ancho and chipotle chiles, Ceylon cinnamon and dark chocolate.

2. BLACK GARLIC Said the New York Times, “Rarely does a truly novel ingredient come along, so when aged black garlic hit the scene, chefs took notice.” Fermented 30 days, black garlic not only has double the antioxidants, but garners a sweeter, tangier caramelized texture and taste. Transformed into a much more versatile ingredient, substituting your usual garlic clove with one of these guarantees to add a new depth to any recipe.

1. J&D’S BACONSALT AND BACONNAISE The two made their fortune on America’s Funniest Home Videos and decided to spend it making everything taste like bacon. BaconSalt—also available in Hickory, Applewood, Natural and Peppered—really is a wondrous product. Mysteriously vegetarian AND kosher, with zero calories and zero fat, it might have prolonged my eight-year stint as a vegetarian—sprinkle some on some Morningstar “Bacon” Strips and you’re set for life. The free sticks of bacon chapstick, however, I’d steer clear of.