10 New & Exotic Foods Coming To NYC's 2009 Summer Fancy Food Show

The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) is holding its 55th Summer Fancy Food Fair in New York City this weekend (June 28 - 30, 2009) and my mouth waters just reading about some of the luscious new foods premiering at the event.   If you can get there, here are ten tasties I'd love you to try for me! (This list leans to the sweet, I warn you.)

 

 

Exotic Food Number 1:  Fran's Smoked Sea Salt Caramels

 

 

Fran's Chocolates, a Seattle-based chocolatier, made a hit with President Obama during his campaign stop in Seattle, and now they're practically installed at the White House.  At this year's Fancy Food Show, Fran's all-organic Gray and Smoked Salt Caramels are mixing savory and sweet in a very bold way.

 

Exotic Food Number 2: Charlie's Truffled Popcorn

 

 

Susan Rice Truffle Products hail from the hills of North Carolina, where Ms. Rice is close to building the largest truffle farm in the U.S.  She sells truffles and truffle products, and Charlie's Truffled Popcorn, which you may find at Amazon.com, is her latest. 5 Oinks!

 

Exotic Food Number 3: Ritrovo 'Waves of Grain' Pasta

 

 

Look no further for Italian foods than Ritrovo, a Seattle-based importer of fine organic products from small organic farms in Italy.  And aren't these thick Don Antonio Pannochhie Waves of Grain just perfect to hold your favorite sauces, meats, and cheeses?

 

 

Exotic Food Number 4: Clotho's New Zealand Rewarewa Honey

 

 

Clotho Corporation is a Brooklyn-based company that imports fine natural products from all over the world.  The rewarewa, or the New Zealand honeysuckle, is a huge tree (up to 30 meters high and 1 meter in diameter)  that grows in New Zealand and South Africa. The exotic taste of the Rewarewa Honey, available at Amazon.com,  is described as 'a combination of whipped honey and caramel.'  Oh my!

 

Exotic Food Number 5: Sen Cha Naturals Morning Lychee Green Tea Inspirations

 

 

 

 

Sen Cha, a particularly healthful green tea, is used in all of Sen Cha Naturals green tea products -- currently a line of Green Tea Mints and Green Tea Bars. Its latest flavor, Morning Lychee, is now available and will formally debut at the Summer Fancy Food Fair. One Green Tea Bar, gluten and wheat free as well as vegan, is the equivalent of three cups of green tea and 3 Green Tea Mints, sugar and caffeine free and vegan, are the equivalent of one cup of green tea. Sen Cha products are available at Amazon.com.  

 

 

Exotic Food Number 6: Napa Valley California Wine Chocolates

 

 

These chocolates have received a lot of attention starting with the reduction of wonderful Napa Valley wines, including Late Harvest Cabernet, Zinfandel Cuvée, First Crush Fumé Blanc and Old Oak Barrel-Aged Port.  Choclatique makes fabulous chocolates using exceptional cocoas.  But the candy molds were designed by none other than Ferrari artisans.  Yum.  My two favorite foods in my favorite sports car...  Oh, right, not the sports car.

 

 

Exotic Food Number 7: Lesser Evil Veggie Krinkle Sticks

 

 

Lesser Evil Brand Snack Co. claims its snacks are "Lesser Evil" because they are lower in fat and calories than other "lower calorie/fat" snacks, and they are all natural with 10 grams of whole grains per serving. Its newest Veggie Krinkles look yummy.  Made with potatoes, spinach, broccoli, corn and 7 whole grains...they're crispy too.

 

Exotic Food Number 8: Dufflet Caramel Crackle

 

 

Toronto based Dufflet Small Indulgences has added Carmel Crackle to its Chocolate Crackle group... Dufflet's dangerous version of Italy's famous Florentines. The Carmel Crackle is full of toasted almonds, pistachios, sea salt and, of course, caramel.

 

 

Exotic Food Number 9: Balla Chi-Cha Creamy Goat Cheese Torta With Apricots

 

 

Described merely as 'decadent,' the newest cheese torta from Bella Chi-Cha has been named as a finalist in the 2009 Summer Fancy Food Show Sofi Award in the appetizer category.  Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Goat Cheese Torta with Fig, this torta is made with goat cheese, cream cheese, apricot preserves and chili flakes.

 

Exotic Food Number 10: The Caviar of Maine

 

 

Maine was not known for caviar, but with its newest product in the Summer Fancy Food Show, Gladstone's Under The Sun will make a case for Maine as the world's caviar capitol.  And fortunately Maine's caviar doesn't cost $2,000 or more an ounce because with Maine's wild blueberry that's presented in this jar -- a healthy hors d'oeuvres, condiment for meats, or dessert topping -- you'll get all the taste, nutrition, and flavor of wild blueberries, without added sugar and no fishy after taste.

 

There will be thousands of new and exotic foods for you to try at the 55th Summer Fancy Food Fair at NASFT SpecialtyFood.com.  But if you go, don't forget to try these 10 foods, if you can.