This year's Winter Fancy Food Show [1] in San Francisco displayed over 80,000 products, offering one of the best ways to see what's trending in the specialty food department. We scoured and snapped our way through thousands of booths to bring to you the hottest food trends and the tastiest examples. Take a look.
— Additional reporting by Nicole Perry
Chili-Lime Seasoning
Spicy chili and zesty lime do belong in chips . . . as well as veggie crisps and dried fruit. Pretty much anything can, should, and is dusted in this Mexican seasoning. Sriracha, watch out for your competition.
Favorite picks:
- Stoneridge Orchard Chili Lime Cherries [2]
- El Sabroso Papas Fritas Spicy Chile and Lime [3]
- The Daily Crave Chili Lime Veggie Skinniez! [4]
Quinoa 2.0
If you're sick of seeing quinoa on the menu, guess what? The psuedograin is not going anywhere. We saw a whole slew of quinoa-based products, including a quinoa milk (bye-bye almond!), popped quinoa chocolate, and quinoa flour pasta.
Favorite picks:
- Suzie's Quinoa Milk [5]
- Cocoa Parlor Popped Quinoa 70 [6]
- Jcoco Agave Quinoa Sesame With Milk Chocolate [7]
- Pereg Quinoa Fusilli Pasta [8]
Funky Popcorn
There was no missing the myriad popcorn of options on offer. And no, we're not talking movie theater butter, caramel, or cheddar corn (though we saw those too). Popcorn makers let their imaginations run wild, dreaming up everything from half-popped kernels (for extra crunch), to Indian-spiced options.
Favorite picks:
- Savory Masala With Papadums [9]
- Pop! Rogue Blue Cheese [10]
- J&D's Sriracha Popcorn [11]
- Halfpops [12]
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds [13] have long been trending in the health and fitness world, but now they are more mainstream than ever. Granola, popcorn, breads, and nut butters are just a few products that you can now expect to see the small, black seeds in.
Favorite picks:
- San Franola Granola Toasted Chia [14]
- 479° Popcorn Seaweed and Toasted Sesame [15]
- Barney Almond Butter Raw + Chia [16]
- Ozery Bakery Morning Rounds Date and Chia [17]
Every Part of the Coconut
Coconut water and oil have been huge in the food marketplace for a while now, but we're seeing even more coconut: in sugar for instant coffee, as chips, caramelized, and even in a luscious spread.
Favorite picks:
- Owl Nanyang White Coffee 3 in 1 (Gula Melaka) [18]
- Dang Toasted Coconut Chips Lightly Salted [19]
- JJ's Sweets Cocomels Sea Salt [20]
- Spiral's Organic Coconut Sweet Spread [21]
Pepper Jelly
Pepper jelly in its classic form [22] might not be anything new — just ask any Southerner. What is new are newfangled takes on this traditional spread — think pineapple, raspberry-jalapeño, and calamondin [23] (a Phillippine lime variety).
Favorite picks:
- Calamondin Pepper Jelly
- Vermont Harvest Pineapple Pepper Jelly [24]
- The Jam Stand Razzy Gabby and a Side of Jalapeño Jam [25]