Q. You’re an aspiring food blogger and you want to be on the cutting edge of food trends. Where do you go to really get in on the action?
A. The Fancy Food Show.

Will amaranth be the next hot grain to cook with? Maybe kale-based foods will start showing up on every plate. Or perhaps it’ll be just another year of bacon-infused dishes.

Trends such as these reveal themselves at the Fancy Food Show. Presented by the Specialty Food Association twice a year, the Summer Fancy Food Show just wrapped up in New York City and featured 1,300 exhibitors from all over the world offering over 80,000 products.

Purveyors and procurers alike take part in tastings, panels, and workshops. Highlights from this year included:

Panel on New York’s Changing Retail Landscape:
featuring Director of Events at Gotham West; Aaron Foster, whole animal butcher and specialty grocer; and Leasing Director for the Turnstyle Project at Columbus Circle.

Wired Youth and Wise Elders – The Rising Influence of Gen Z and Boomers on Specialty Food Trends:
Melissa Abbott, culinary consultant, discussed how Gen Z is poised to replace millennials as the most coveted consumer demographic that will also be the most ethnically diverse, socially connected consumers yet. Meanwhile, Baby Boomers’ impact as the original “fresh, less processed” group continues to be felt.

And what do the tea leaves reveal might be hot in 2017?
Vegan products, such as Notcho Nocheez from the Happy Vegan, were everywhere at the Summer Show.

Most unique tasting experience?
Among the most popular tastings this year was the 100 year balsamic vinegar from artisan Giuseppe Giusti.

You don’t have to wait until next summer to have your own Fancy Food Show experience. The Winter Fancy Food Show is held every year in San Francisco. Learn more here >