New York - Chips made out of broccoli, chickpeas and kale. Wine-spiked ice cream. Popcorn that didn’t quite fulfil its destiny.
Those were some of the alternative-universe products at this week’s 61st annual Fancy Food Show. Many have limited distribution and aren’t easy to find, but could signal coming trends.
Buyers milled about the trade show at the sprawling Jacob Javits Centre in New York City, tasting the treats on display and stuffing bags with free samples.
“It’s like a secret wonderland of food,” said Louise Kramer, a spokeswoman for the Specialty Food Association, the trade group that puts on the show.
The expo, which featured more than 100 000 products, is not open to the public.
Here are five potential foods the exhibitors were showing off:
MAPLE WATER
Drink Maple, based in Concord, Massachusetts, sells bottles of maple water it says is tapped from maple trees.
It’s the same stuff that’s boiled down into syrup. The clear liquid has the consistency of water and a lightly sweetened taste, with a 350ml bottle as having 30 calories and 7g of sugar. The website notes maple water is “low calorie, gluten-free, dairy-free and non-genetically modified organisms”. It also says “no trees are harmed” in the collection process.
WINE ICE CREAM
Instead of a glass, this wine can be served in a cone.
Mercer’s, a dairy in upstate New York, was offering tastes of its “wine ice cream,” which has up to 5 percent alcohol. They come in eight flavours including “Strawberry Sparkling” and “Chocolate Cabernet.” Roxaina Hurlburt, a co-owner, said it was sold online and in a few hundred locations around the country, including casinos and wineries.
BROCCOLI BITES
A prevalent theme at the expo was snacks made from unusual ingredients; think bags of roasted chickpeas, cheese puffs made out of beans, and seaweed chips.
Another example was Broccoli Bites from Rhythm Foods, which also makes kale chips. Before they’re dehydrated, the broccoli is tossed in a dressing made with seeds, herbs and spices to add flavour and prevent crumbling.
HALF-POPPED KERNELS
Do you think those half-popped kernels at the bottom of the popcorn bag are the best part?
HalfPops and Pop’d Kerns offer the snacks in different flavours , with a 28g serving having 130-160 calories, depending on flavour.
“SEXY” SNACKS
Holding a bag of chips with the word “Sexy” in big letters can cure shyness. That’s what founder Robert Ehrlich told visitors. “When you hold a bag, you are sort of empowering yourself.”
AP