The Jelly Belly booth at 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show was considerably scaled back compared to the giant display at past shows.
We spent yesterday at the 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show, which returned to Javits Convention Center for the first time since 2019. I estimate there were maybe half as many booths as the show had at its peak (the show says there were 1800 exhibitors), but that’s still a lot of food to investigate. Although some exhibitors packaged their samples in COVID-safe cups and there were many masks in evidence, hand sampling was back in full force at most booths. It surely helped that pre-COVID testing was eliminated last week for visitors entering the US, as this event has a very heavy international attendance.
Plant based chicken at Fancy Food Show: no harm, no fowl.
The Fancy Food Show is where boutique groceries as well as chains go to find new offerings to differentiate themselves. Once upon a time there were lots of foods in jars; now there’s an abundance of charcuterie, cheese, chocolate and other gourmet treats. Food people like to get together in person and there was much hugging in evidence. It’s a fun event which we have been attending on a somewhat regular basis since we went with the folks from Harry & David who were provisioning their catalog in the early 90s.
Plant based seafood at 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show.
We’ll have a couple more reports coming up, including some surprising local connections for folks in my hometown New York Capital District. Stay tuned.
Another trend: Baklava. It was everywhere at the Fancy Food Show.
The good ole daze return! Somewhat. When I started following your blog the Fancy Food Show posts were a favorite. Nothing against vegetables, but fake meat and fish ain’t for me. I wouldn’t buy animal based veggies either. Surprised by the oyster comment. Looking forward to the Fancy local connections post.
Surprised about oysters how? Are they plentiful where you are? In our local fish markets they are either absent or tiny because (as one monger explained to me) they’re being harvested earlier than usual. And thanks for the comments about Fancy Food Show. I did try those products I photographed. They weren’t disgusting but they didn’t taste like the animals they were supposed to taste like.
For me four dozen a year is a big year, but I haven’t had any lately. A friend had a dozen in a Syracuse restaurant last week. Raved about them. Syracuse is a fish monger desert. Wegmans, Price Chopper or some fish frys as a side business. Wegmans Dewitt has a bag of their Barrier Island Oysters for 25/$21 or Blue Point Cape Neddick for 1/$1.50. Oysters are available, not sure of the quality.
Four dozen? I can and have eaten that many in one sitting. Price Chopper (I checked yesterday) has zero oysters in Saratoga Springs, not even the oysters in jars. Of course we do not have Wegman’s and are constantly whining about that but we do have two excellent fishmongers, Moby Rick’s and Fin. Fin buys from Panagea and is usually well stocked but they are 40 miles away from me. Moby Rick’s was the source of the mini bivalves I mentioned earlier. I need a big plump oyster; Belons are my favorite but they have not made an appearance in some time.
I suspected that you’d eaten more oysters than I ever saw. I ate most of mine in Atlanta and Boulder. Kinda rare in Central NY until 2000(?) or so.The only time I ever saw a large selection of oyster types was in Grand Central Oyster Bar. Years ago. No Belons on todays menu…
Check out PC/Market 32 in Latham, they may have oysters, and of course try Hooked, as they always have a variety of oysters to serve in the restaurant or for sale in the market. 4 dozen in one sitting…heck yeah….many years ago…was at the Acme Oyster Bar in New Orleans…actually was there twice in the same day and I would say I alone had minimally 5 dozen between the two visits….love them raw, but not a fan of them fried.
Thanks! will check out those resources.