My Favorite Finds At The Fancy Food Show

Hello everyone! Because there was SO many exciting finds at the Fancy Food Show, I needed to break it into two posts!! Here are more of my favorite finds from the show.

More Cheese

I realized I left out a couple of favorite cheesy finds from yesterday’s blog post!

Buffalo camembert From Rolf Beeler in Switzerland. I loved the unctuous paste, earthy rind, and full buffalo milk flavor. Not only was it my first buffalo milk camembert experience, it was unforgettable!

Buffalo Camembert from Rolf Beeler.
Buffalo Camembert from Rolf Beeler.

Pimento cheese: from Nibbi’s Kitchen in California. This stuff was DELICIOUS. I wanted to spirit away a whole container for later, but kept myself in check and kept moving. This small-production pimento cheese, which comes plain or with jalapeno peppers, is full-flavored, creamy, and addictive.

Pimento cheese makes its Miss Cheesemonger debut!
Pimento cheese makes its Miss Cheesemonger debut!

Jams, Jellies, Honeys

Farm Belle jams and honeys, made in Oregon, caught my eye and taste buds. I especially loved the Lemon Honey Crème, Marionberry Pinot Noir jam, and Lavender Honey Crème. The owner of this company also offers adorable tableware under the brand Rosanna.

Farmgate Cheese jellies from Australia, are delicately flavored and beautiful on the plate. Everything I tasted was delicious, especially their Pinot Noir jelly and Pear Calvados jam. They offer several other wine jellies, and a black truffle honey. I hope they find some distribution here in the States!

Favols jams from southwest France presented with great flair. There were takes on classic French flavors like Clementine aux Epices (which tasted like Christmas), Poire Macaron, Abricot & Lavande (which evokes my favorite Provençal flavors). So many options!

Favols jams from France.
Favols jams from France.

Navarino Icons offered some delicious products from the Messinian region of Greece (in the southwest). Their Tomato Spoon Sweet paired beautifully with Cypress Grove’s Lampchopper. Their Mandarin and Lemon marmalades would pair well with cheeses as well.

Bariani olive pate and honey are made in California by the Italian Bariani family. Their olive pate is pure olive paste, and their honey comes from bees kept in the olive orchard. They also offer skincare products and olive oil. As I listened to Enrico Bariani explain all of the branches of the family business at the show, I realized that Bariani is practically a self-sustaining ecosystem.

The French Farm had some delicious offerings at their booth, including La Cultivada olive oil from Spain, and so many L’Epicurien jams, which, if you follow me, you know I love.

Other Cheese Accompaniments, or Plain Scrumptious Delights

Tonewood in Vermont and Crown Maple Syrup in New York State both offered delicious maple syrups of different grades, as well as dry maple flakes, which I imagine would be delicious sprinkled on nearly anything.

Canadian Birch’s birch syrup was one of the biggest surprises for me at the show. It’s more bitter and less sweet than maple syrup, but a little dollop can go a long way. I’ve been dreaming of pairing it with Italian pecorinos, a very aged Dutch gouda, or ice cream.

Canadian Birch syrup. SO tasty!
Canadian Birch syrup. SO tasty!

Seggiano pesto sauce from Liguria, Italy. It is unpasteurized and aromatic, with bright, fresh flavors. Thanks to the company’s production methods, there’s no need for pesticides or herbicides.

O-Med wine vinegars, produced in Spain, are made with a unique slow fermentation process. This process allows the wines to maintain their respective colors and flavors, resulting in remarkably full, well-rounded vinegar that’s less acidic than anything I’ve tasted.

Boulart bread from Canada. This is fully baked frozen bread that you can heat up at home, perfect for when you have unexpected guests, or just feel like staying in. I am a self-professed bread addict, and much appreciated the fluffy crumbs and crunchy crusts at Boulart’s booth.

Majani teas from Kenya. They offer a variety of black, green, oolong, and white teas. When I happened upon this table, it was another case of, “Let’s not try to be too weird and stay too long,” but there were so many teas to smell! Some were delicate, some were stronger. All delicious.

Majani teas from Kenya.
Majani teas from Kenya.

Uncle Andy’s jerky from Colorado. Beef jerky, in bright, novel flavors like Maple Bourbon, Texas BBQ, and Lemon Mint. Try pairing that with some cheddars, or a hefty washed-rind cheese!

Poco Dolce chocolates. I have been a fan of this company ever since I discovered their chocolate tiles. They came out with a smoked almond + ghost chile tile this year, and it’s every bit as exquisite as it sounds.

La Quercia introduced a new product called ‘Nduja Americana, which is almost like a spicy, savory sausage spread. You can just eat it as is on some bread, with cheese, or to spruce up soups and stews. Or just eat it straight from the casing.

'Nduja Americana from La Quercia, with some of their other offerings in the background.
‘Nduja Americana from La Quercia, with some of their other offerings in the background.

 

Crackers, crisps, and biscuits. I loved the savory, crisp za’atar cracker from Firehook, the cookie-like Toastees from Almondina, and the nut-fruit blend crisps of Kii Natural’s Crisps.

Ketchup. There was a lot of specialty ketchup out there this year. My choice, for both packaging and well-rounded flavor, was from Victoria Amory. If you’re looking for a little more kick, go for Red Duck! If you like things on the sweeter side, Fine Vines’ many ketchups were tasty. If you’re feeling really adventurous, Skillet Street Food even makes several pumpkin ketchups. Put them all on a grilled cheese, cheeseburger, or whatever else you can get your hands on.

Victoria Amory ketchups, mayonnaises, and sauces.
Victoria Amory ketchups, mayonnaises, and sauces.

Sodas. There were lots of sodas out there this show. I particularly liked the elderflower cordials by Belvoir. A little whimsical, and a little dressy! Joia sodas, especially the grapefruit|chamomile|cardamom, were also delightful. Neither was too sweet, and both were refreshing.

Joia's revitalizing sodas.
Joia’s revitalizing sodas.

I could go on and on about more products, but I have to stop somewhere! What a tasty show it was. Were you there? What were your favorite finds? For some of my favorite cheese discoveries, go here!

You can always reach me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or email!