Every June, the Summer Fancy Food Show takes place at Javits Center in New York City for a peek at the specialty foods expected to be trending in supermarkets — and showing up on menus — across the country. The show is the largest specialty food industry event in North America, along with its West Coast sister event, the Winter Fancy Food Show, held in San Francisco. The show features educational seminars on the latest industry innovations, a live pitch competition in front of expert foodservice buyers, and, of course, more than 1,000 exhibitors eager to show off their hottest products.
Here are a few of the most-talked about F&B products showcased in New York that are expected to gain popularity in 2020, as identified by The Washington Post.
Collagen
Individuals interested in health and beauty know that products with collagen, a structural protein found in skin and other connective tissue, can help create glowing skin — though research is limited on the topic. While beauty bloggers have been promoting collagen powders and the like in recent years, collagen will soon be incorporated into all sorts of snacks and drinks like Coco Luxe, a coconut milk that contains collagen and acai.
Spiked Tea
No longer just a hot beverage to sip on a rainy morning, tea is getting reimagined by specialty food companies as a beverage laced with alcohol. Owl’s Brew is combining tea — including white tea, English breakfast, and Darjeeling — with a malt base for what they’re calling “Boozy Tea.”
Sober-Curious Drinks
On the flip side, those interested in living a sober lifestyle have plenty of new drinks to try as well, with companies creating concoctions that go beyond typical seltzer and soda offerings. Töst, for example, is a fizzy drink made with white tea, cranberry, and ginger that comes packaged in a wine bottle. Additionally, sober-curious drinkers can take a sip of O. Vine — a sparkling water made with grape skins.
Cheese, Rebranded
There are new ways for cheese lovers to indulge, beyond charcuterie boards and pasta pairings, with bite-sized cheese snacks on the go. RifRaf single-serve ricotta cups have unusual flavor profiles like strawberry balsamic, and Spēka is a chocolate- or caramel-covered bar whose primary ingredient is cottage cheese.