Food trend predictions from the Fancy Foods show

Every year, thousands of people gather for the annual Summer Fancy Food Show, where more than 2,600 specialty companies showcase their goods to the press, consumers, and potential buyers. This year, Cook’s Illustrated sent one of its tastings and testings team members, Hannah Crowley, to the show. After eyeing and sampling hundreds of products, she made some predictions for trends we’re likely to see on store shelves. 

Hannah reported that many items were continuations of previous trends that seem to have some staying power. The word “superfoods” kept popping up in booth after booth, and cold-brew coffee and tea were ubiquitous. Honey continues its upward trajectory, finding its way into more and more products. There’s even a vegan alternative to honey that is making its way to market. 

Two foods that are night-and-day different from each other are both predicted to be big in the next year or so. The first is jerky, which is branching out to include different meats and a variety of flavors. At the show, Hannah saw “beef, pork, chicken, turkey, salmon, trout, coconut, and eggplant jerky and interesting flavors like maple bourbon churro, korean barbecue, sriracha honey, and pink or szechuan peppercorn.”

The other food blasting its way to the top is chickpeas. Move over hummus, as chickpeas are claiming new ground, with products that include crackers and chips, miso, and popped (to make a healthier snack that resemble Cheetos).  

Photo of Beef jerky from Paleo Perfected (A Test Kitchen Handbook) by America’s Test Kitchen Editors