By Elaine Viegas
Representatives from 1400 companies based all around the world traveled to San Francisco recently for the Specialty Food Association’s 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show, held January 22–24 at the Moscone Center. Listening to President Trump, you would think that we should all run in fear from certain countries. At this event, however, we saw men from Arabic countries happily clinking glasses full of mineral water with Italians, chefs in traditional Japanese attire sharing cooking tips with flaming gay caterers, Russians telling surprisingly risqué jokes to other exhibitors and so much more.
Whatever the secret to world peace is, surely it will be shared over delicious food and drink.
The show, established in 1954, is now the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages in North America. The Specialty Food Association—a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs—owns and produces the fabulous event, where some of the world’s largest food companies have booths next to sole proprietors hoping that their products will be the next best sellers. We even spoke to a woman who made pasta out of what was once her home’s laundry room.
Over 80,000 products were on display, with most vendors offering generous samples. It is definitely an event where no one leaves hungry for either food or memorable conversations. Stars of the food world show up too, such as charming Bob from Bob’s Red Mill, whose line of admirers looked like groupies at a rock concert.
Each year, both exhibitors and attendees watch out for the latest and greatest food trends and innovations. For 2017, the Association called out multiple products for pushing the envelope of ingenuity the farthest. The items included chocolates crafted like protein bars, a vegan honey made from apples, organic tea drops that dissolve in your cup, sheets of cheese that bake to form edible bowls and cups, a deconstructed hummus kit, a Vietnamese coffee kit and sustainable protein bars made out of home-brewing leftovers.
We hope that the photos on this page encourage you to attend next year’s show. If you like tasty food and beverages, and want proof that people from different countries, religions and economic backgrounds can get along together under the same roof, the Fancy Food Show is a can’t-miss event.
For more information: https://www.specialtyfood.com/
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