Last weekend, for the first time in years, I attended a fancy food show, held in San Francisco and sponsored by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. The sheer number of booths and exhibitors was mind-boggling. The amount of ground covered took every ounce of my energy. The show was split between two halls. Each had a distinct feeling - the South Hall was "old school," with many countries grouping their products together. The mostly male, mostly older representatives wore suits, their more serious demeanor perhaps supporting their view that food was all about business. The North Hall, however, was just fun. The vendors happily shared their products and the story of their conceptions, creating an intimacy between exhibitor and attendee. The result was that I wanted these companies to be successful. The energetic atmosphere propelled me from one booth to the next, so I had no choice but to continue up and down the aisles. There were themes a-plenty - chocolates infused with fruit flavors, teas infused with fruit flavors, a plethora of jams and jellies and barbeque sauces and salts. Only a small number of products or companies, however, stood out as so new or exciting...
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