This year at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City, I set out to find new taste sensations—and I wasn’t disappointed. Here, my favorite finds…
• Broccoli Bites by Rhythm Superfoods. Broccoli florets are tossed with a light dressing, seeds, nuts, herbs and spices and are dehydrated (not baked or fried). $3.99 for a 1.5-ounce bag.
• Chickpeatos by WatUSee Foods. These tasty, crispy chickpeas roasted in olive oil won the NBC Today show’s 2014 “Start Up to Success” competition. $3.99 for a five-ounce package.
• Roasted Poblano Peach Spread by The Gracious Gourmet has the sweet flavor of peaches balanced with mildly hot roasted poblano chile peppers. Spoon it over grilled or sautéed salmon, shellfish, chicken or pork, or spread it on bread to add a sweet kick to your sandwich. It’s also good paired with cheese. $10 for a 7.7-ounce jar.
• Boozy Bacon Barbecue Sauce by Stonewall Kitchen has a smoky flavor from bacon bits, along with a slight oaky flavor from Kentucky bourbon. Spoon it on ribs or beef kabobs, or serve it as a dipping sauce. $7.95 for an 11-ounce bottle.
• Seven Salad Dressing by Balsamo’s Family Kitchen is extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar with added turmeric, cayenne pepper and garlic. It lends a Middle Eastern flavor to salads, or use it as a marinade. $14 for a 12.6-ounce bottle.
• Smoked Basmati Rice from Amira. Smoking rice originated as a technique to preserve rice. This extralong grain rice has an aromatic, smoky flavor. It is great for seafood dishes or rice salad. $4.59 for a one-pound bag.
• The Mayan Brownie by Salt of the Earth is a rich, chocolaty brownie flavored with cinnamon, salt and a surprise kick of cayenne pepper. $15 for three boxes with two 1.6-ounce brownies in each box.
• Salted Caramel Sauce from Coop’s MicroCreamery is a thick sauce with a deep, rich caramel/butterscotch flavor. It will make any cake, ice cream or fruit a sensation. $12 for a 10.6-ounce jar.
• Meyer Lemon Moravian Cookies from Salem Baking Company are wafer-thin cookies with a burst of bright lemon flavor—only 14 calories per cookie. $5.99 for a five-ounce box…$1.99 for a one-ounce single-serving package.
