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Top 5 Organic Products of Fancy Food Show 2018

The Summer Fancy Food Show, put on by the Specialty Food Association, is always one of my favorite food shows of the year.

Aside from the fact that it attracts vendors from all over the world, it also features an Incubation Village, where food incubators from around the country showcase some of their most interesting brands. This gives invaluable exposure to young brands, many of whom would be unable to afford a booth on their own.

As I do after each show, below are My Top 5 Organic Products of Fancy Food Show 2018. If you’d like to read more coverage of the show, be sure to check out this week’s Organic Insider.

 

GINJAN GINGER JUICE

The ginger drink from Ginjan was one of the organic products that I discovered in the Incubation Village at the Fancy Food Show, and it caught my attention right away. The flavor profile was incredibly unique, refreshing and intoxicating.

A traditional beverage that founders Rahim and Mohammed Diallo grew up drinking in Africa, it has been around for thousands of years and features ginger, pineapple, lemon, vanilla and anise.

Even though the organic juice category is brutally competitive, I believe that Ginjan has a real chance to become a nationally-known brand. Additionally, the company will only benefit from ginger’s growing popularity, particularly because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

Ginjan is currently for sale at independent retailers in the tri-state region and expansion to Whole Foods stores in NYC and Long Island is expected to begin next week.

The drink can also be ordered on the company’s website, Fresh Direct or on Amazon.

Also, Ginjan was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest. And as Rahim and Mohammed Diallo say in the very moving video below, they are truly living the American dream. Very cool story!

 

 

WILDLY ORGANIC COCONUT MILK POWDER

For people who love organic coconut milk, such as myself, finding a fresh glass of it is a challenging endeavor.

So, if you want to drink organic coconut milk but not from a can, this is the next best thing — organic coconut milk powder from Wildly Organic.

The organic coconut milk powder from Wildly Organic contains only three ingredients — organic dehydrated coconut milk, organic maltodextrin (tapioca-derived), and organic acacia fiber (does not contain sodium caseinate). Furthermore, while many coconut milk powders contain as much as 60% maltodextrin to lower costs, Wildly Organic’s contains less than 3%.

The other day, I used this powder to make my morning smoothie and loved it. Plus, it is perfect to take with you on the road. Major bonus points for the packaging as well.

Wildly Organic’s organic coconut milk powder can be purchased on the company’s website and on Amazon.

 

SEVEN SUPER SEEDS SEED BOMBS

When attending a food trade show, it is pretty obvious when you love a product — you stand there and put sample after sample into your mouth.

And after minutes of doing this, you realize that you have no shame in your game, you have no self-control and you start to embarrass yourself mercilessly. (Yes, I do this often.)

The difference with Seven Super Seeds’ seed bombs was that one sample was all you needed. Out of the thousands of products at Fancy Food Show, I purposely made my way back to founder Janice Wheeler’s booth for a second taste. It was that compelling and distinct. And spicy.

Made with all organic, vegan and gluten-free ingredients — oatmeal, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pepitas, water, sesame seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, poppy seeds, paprika, guajillo pepper, chile garlic, ancho chile, cumin, black pepper, sea salt, New Mexican chile — the seed bombs are a phenomenal product.

The bad news? They are not currently for sale on the company’s website, and I could not get an answer as to when they will be available.

Not to worry, I will be staying in touch with the company and will let you know when they go on sale.

For those of you who love spicy food, this is a product is a must.

 

PACARI CHOCOLATE COVERED GOLDENBERRIES

When you sample a good amount of excellent chocolate, as many people normally do at the Fancy Food Show, it is hard to distinguish one from the other.

However, the chocolate covered goldenberries from Pacari really stood out. Why?

Not only does Pacari have some of the best Ecuadorian cacao in the world, but the citrus from the goldenberry provides tremendous balance and makes it surprisingly refreshing, something you do not normally expect from chocolate.

Apparently, I am not the only one who was impressed with this product, as it garnered the silver medal at the 2017 International Chocolate Awards. 

Containing 60% cacao, Pacari’s chocolate covered goldenberry can be purchased on the company’s website or on Amazon, and at natural retailers nationwide.

 

SINTO GOURMET ‘PLENTY ROOTS’ KIMCHI

As some of you may know, kimchi is one of my favorite foods.

So, anywhere I go — whether it is at a supermarket, restaurant or a trade show — anything that says kimchi, I am immediately drawn to it and usually text pictures of the product to my Korean friends.

Sinto Gourmet takes a very different twist with its ‘plenty roots’ kimchi. Not only does it lack the spicy flavor you expect from kimchi, it contains no cabbage either.

Company founder and chef Hyunjoo Albrecht made this recipe for a friend of hers who was suffering from cancer and decided to utilize super-healthy, antioxidant-rich root vegetables, such as beets and vegetables. Aside from the health benefits of this fermented product, ‘plenty roots’ kimchi has great texture and is earthy and grounding.

In case you were wondering, ‘sinto buri’ ‘신토불이’ in Korean translates to ‘body and soil cannot be separated’ and means our bodies and spirits are at their best when eating foods that grow on the soil we step on. In Korea, it is used to emphasize the importance of local food and where food comes from — a philosophy that the company embraces.

Sinto Gourmet’s ‘plenty roots’ kimchi is available at select retailers in the San Francisco area and in the Northeast, and it can be purchased online.

A message from Tradin Organic

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.

The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.

Learn more.

livingmaxwell: a guide to organic food & drink