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On Tuesday, our team here at eco18 was fortunate enough to attend the 2015 Summer Fancy Food Show! The day was spent sampling delicious foods and talking to creative businessmen and women. While stopping by our favorite booths from last year, including Simply Gum and Back to the Roots, we stumbled upon a ton of new companies that follow the same principles of us here at eco18 and fell in love. Here’s a roundup of our top 18 favorite finds from the show!
Pigs in a blanket are not my favorite thing. They are usually pretty mediocre. Well not anymore. Brooklyn Piggies claim –we put the perfect pig in a blanket—and they do! Both the sausage and the pastry are unrivalled. The sausages are hand crafted and smoked using natural hardwood—no artificial seasonings, additives fillers or MSG. The flaky puff pastry is light and well, flaky. They come in four excellent flavors: Original, Spicy (and it really is), Chicken and Veggies. There are also three perfect condiments; Catsup, Mustard and BBQ to pair with the perfect little piggy!
Who could pass up gourmet lobster mac and cheese and smoked scallop soup? Not us for sure. Called the “cashmere quality comfort food” by The New York Times, Cal Hancock, founder and Maine lobster lover, cooks up some of the most delicious lobster and seafood concoctions prepared in small batches to ensure the integrity of traditional family recipes. Everything is made from fresh, all natural, high quality ingredients that you can taste in every bite. The company supports the Maine Lobstering Industry which is sustainable and eco-friendly. The Maine lobster they use is certified by the Maine Stewardship Council (MSC).
By far our favorite Coconut Water, which is never heated, never treated and never homogenized has taken things to a whole new level with the introduction of their 100% raw coconut water blended with Fair Trade Coffee Beans! WOW, what an awesome beverage. Great flavor and fragrance and like all Harmless Harvest beverages it is certified Organic, Fair for Life Social & Fair Trade Certified. This low-gylcemic hydrating “pick-me-up” has no added sugar (the sweetness comes from the Nam Hom Coconuts that are hand harvested in Thailand), dairy or preservatives and contains about 50mg of naturally occurring caffeine, the equivalent of one shot of espresso.
We were impressed with the flavor profiles of these rich, nutrient dense super food bars. Non-GMO, Certified Gluten Free, No Soy Protein Added, each bar is packed with 8g Protein, 4g Fiber, 200mg Omega 3 and 60mg Omega 6. Apart from the nutritional value, they were really delicious. Currently offering three flavors; Coconut Almond with pumpkin seeds, dates and chia seeds, Peanut Cherry Chocolate which is delicately sweet and salty and Cranberry White Chocolate with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and almonds. This is no ordinary bar!
Kombucha is an acquired taste, some of us love it, some of us don’t. But we were really surprised when we tasted Capital Kombucha, it tasted really good. Very light and refreshing and very different from most other kombucha brands we’ve tried. Capital Kombucha takes this classic fermented brew and infuses it with cold-pressed juices, fine herbs and gourmet teas, providing a new twist thirst quencher that’s low on sugar. Nine delicate flavors include: Strawberry, Peach, Mango Chili, Ginger, Basil Lemongrass, Mint Lime, Cucumber Melon, Coconut Water and Granny Smith. Give handcrafted local fresh brand a try!
The best of Greek “grazing” made easy. Greeks love to share food and we are so glad they do! Our favorite was the Giant Beans with Red and Green peppers in a vinegar sauce. Really delicious. Other traditional small dishes in the line are the Giant Beans with tomato and Onion Sauce, Eggplants cooked in Tomato and Onion Sauce, Chickpeas with Cumin and Dill and the quintessential Greek Dolma Vine leaves Stuffed with Rice and Dill were outstanding. Everything is made with the freshest ingredients including Greek olive oil and comes in convenient ready to serve 10oz containers.
Toufayan Bakeries have been making delicious, quality pitas and pita chips for around 85 years. Harry Toufayan’s father started the business in 1926 in the Middle East. Now, the family has their headquarters and pita plant in New Jersey along with two bakeries in Florida. The company cares about the community and sourcing only the best and reliable ingredients for their products. Toufayan Bakeries has an array of options for those with food allergies, including low carbs, no salt, non-GMO, vegan and our favorite gluten free pitas! (Try the chili lime—it’s so good!)
Flying Bird Botanicals is a family run business that offers an eclectic mix of products, all while staying organic and using fair trade ingredients. The company makes everything from cacao, organic herbal teas, and all natural face and body care. We tried the iced Bluebird morning tea that was delicious and so refreshing. The fact that it’s 100 percent organic is a major plus!
Kim Ullner, the founder of 1-2-3 Gluten Free’s sister was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at a young age. Later, in 2004, her nieces and nephew were diagnosed with Celiac Disease as well. With her family members in mind, Ullner took on a task to create gluten-free products that tasted great as well. Ranging from savory cornbread and biscuit mixes to sweet chocolate brownies and yellow cake mixes, Ullner has created a gluten free mix for all. Trying the brownies and the new key lime pie mix definitely set a bar for all of the other gluten free mixes out there.
Gone Nuts! is a line of products from Living Intentions that contains 11 flavors of perfectly seasoned raw and sprouted nut blends. Packed full of protein and healthy fats, Gone Nuts! are perfect for traveling and camping when you need an energy filled snack that’s easily portable. If you’re into Indian food, try the Thai-curry flavor. It will send your taste buds for a wild ride.
Back to the Roots is truly an inspiring company. With their mission being to “make food personal” they’ve created a line of grow your own miniature farms along with ready to eat breakfast snacks. The grow your own farms include a small mushroom farm, a water garden and garden in a can that grows organic herbs on a completely sustainable, aquaponics farming system. Their breakfast snacks include organic cereals, crisps and fruit and nut toppers that are 100 percent organic in all recyclable packaging. Talk about a win, win.
Alor Aloe Vera offers snacks and drinks that work to hydrate and feed your body nutrients from the inside out. At first we were reluctant to try the Aloe Vera pieces. They looked gelatinous, but resembled a clear jelly snack. Once we tried it we were wrong to be hesitant! The Aloe Vera pieces were sweet and satisfying, especially for a cool down snack. The Aloe Vera juice was delicious and contained no preservatives or additives, only pure Aloe Vera juice.
Created on a corn farm in Ithaca, New York, Off The Cob aims at creating corn chips utilizing sweet corn instead of grain corn, which is traditionally used by other chip companies. Sweet corn in flavor is naturally sweeter, and a healthier choice since it is less starchy and dry. These snacks make the perfect compliment to any BBQ or Summer picnic, and after trying them at the show we were very impressed.
Kitchens of Africa is a unique brand in that it introduces an entirely new cuisine to the American market, packaging it in a way that makes it easy and accessible to the everyday consumer. Where in the past cooking an authentically African meal would be a day-long process, Kitchens of Africa’s flavorful ingredients and line of products including sauces and marinades help consumers make an African meal in minutes.
Slow brewed to perfection, Dona Chai is a brand that really cares about the process of making Chai. Crafted using fresh cold pressed ginger, each batch begins with whole spices that are ground fresh for each batch to maximize flavor, depth, and purity. The best part of all is that this brand produces all it’s Chai locally in Brooklyn Grange.
One of my favorite brands at the show, this company creates original, all-natural flavored butters–the perfect compliment to any muffin or bagel. At the show I had the opportunity to try the Everything Bagel butter, which amazingly tasted like an Everything Bagel. As a born and bred New York, this impressed me.
We found there to be many coffee brands at the show. Among our favorites was Javazen. The differentiation between this brand from other coffee brands out on the market is that Javazen introduces teas and Superfruits into our favorite morning pick me up, creating a more nutritious coffee and giving us an excuse to drink more of it.
Ready-to-eat Indian meals have never been hotter. Chef Bombay introduces an easy way to enjoy Indian in the comforts of your home. The unique Modified Air Packaging (MAP) System guarantees a freshness span of 28-35 days , without the use of any preservatives or additives-ensuring a longer shelf life then more ready-to-eat meals.
