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Top 5 Organic Products from Fancy Food Show 2014
Last week, the Fancy Food Show 2014 recently took place here in NYC and as usual, I had a fantastic time.
I can’t think of a more fun day than to see all of the new products, meet new people, and catch up with friends in the industry.
Even though I heard a lot of grumbling that there was nothing new at this show, I couldn’t disagree more. You just have to be insanely curious and willing to go to every single booth to find the gems.
Here are my Top 5 Organic Products from Fancy Food Show 2014.
LOTUS FOODS – FORBIDDEN RICE RAMEN
Lotus Foods has been on my radar screen for a while now, and I absolutely love what the company is doing, especially with its work in sustainability.
If there was one food at the show that I literally could not stop eating, it was Lotus Foods’ Forbidden Rice Ramen Noodles. Made from heirloom black rice instead of wheat, these Ramen noodles were light and delicious, and had great texture.
Without question, this is something that I will be making all of the time at home and they are super-easy to prepare.
The noodles are vegan, gluten-free, and can be purchased online.
STONYFIELD – PETITE CREME
When I walked by the Stonyfield booth, I was shocked to see its farm motifs and bright colors replaced with a sleek, sophisticated black look.
Yet, there was a good reason for this.
Stonyfield wasn’t presenting its usual yogurt but was launching something entirely new for the very first time – Petite Crème.
With nearly half of Americans not buying Greek yogurt today, largely because it is so tart and thick, Petite Crème has been designed with these taste preferences in mind.
Made with cheese cultures, Petite Crème is not a yogurt but is more of a crème fraîche. Thus, it doesn’t have that tart taste and offers a silky texture, along with 10 grams of protein.
I love that an industry stalwart such as Stonyfield continues to innovate and deliver interesting products to the marketplace.
Petite Crème is in the process of being rolled out nationwide and will be available in seven flavors – plain, vanilla, blueberry, strawberry, cherry, peach, and strawberry-banana.
THE REPUBLIC OF TEA – MATCHIA
Some fantastic, out-of-the-box thinking is taking place at The Republic of Tea.
In a great new product called Matchia, the company has combined two of the world’s great superfoods, antioxidant-rich matcha powder and chia seeds, a great source of omega 3-s.
Aside from the obvious health benefits, there are several reasons why this is such a smart product.
One, the chia seeds provide a completely different way to experience tea, one with texture and a small amount of chewing.
Two, Matchia can also be used for smoothies. In the past, I have written about using tea as a base in my morning smoothies.
Three, this is a great product to take with you when traveling because it has real versatility and isn’t just a one-tricky pony.
Four, the matcha tea powder has been tested for heavy metals, something of real importance for products from Japan, where the Fukushima nuclear disaster has caused real problems to the food supply.
Matchia is gluten-free, Non-GMO Project verified and is available for purchase online.
SILK ROAD – CUCUMBER MINT SODA
I hadn’t either, until I tried Silk Road.
And let me tell that this soda was phenomenal.
Founder Payam Fardanesh said that this recipe is a staple in his home country of Iran, but he decreased the sweetness and added carbonation to make it more acceptable for American consumers.
What Payam Fardanesh has come up with is a major, major winner that is refreshing and has a gorgeous flavor profile.
I used to think that SIPP was the cream of the crop when it came to the high-end organic soda category, but Silk Road can hold its own with anyone.
Silk Road Cucumber Soda with Mint is the absolute real deal and is available for purchase at select retail locations in California. National expansion is expected to be coming soon.
HOLY CRAP – CEREAL CUPS
Regular readers of my blog will probably recognize Holy Crap, the superfood cereal that won my Showstopper Award from Natural Products Expo West 2013.
So, what is the difference between that product and the one pictured to the right?
In terms of the gluten-free and Non-GMO Project verified ingredients, they’re still the same – chia seeds, buckwheat, hemp, raisins, dried cranberries, apple bits ,and cinnamon.
In terms of the packaging, a lot.
The award winner came in a bag – which is great to pack in a suitcase when traveling – but this one comes in a cup, which is great when taking to the office or on a flight.
This packaging change should not be deemed as trivial since Holy Crap is the first of the chia/hemp superfood cereals to offer this convenience.
Bags of Holy Crap can be purchased on Amazon and cereal cups can be purchased on the company’s website.
