Imagine the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco packed with room after room of tempting food and drink. Over 1,300 exhibitors showed more than 80,000 products from around the world, many offering samples. I spent a fast-paced 5.5 hours navigating that maze at the Winter Fancy Food Show. Below is a concise recap of the highlights and the trends that stood out.
The show’s trend spotters highlighted five major themes: sriracha in everything, healthy crunchy snacks, low-sugar beverages, mint-forward flavors, and inventive condiments. I added my own interest in Middle Eastern ingredients to that list and set out to explore the What’s New, What’s Hot room before wandering the show floor.
Booth after booth delivered surprises. I loved a display of rich, hot-fudge-style toppings from Somebody’s Mother’s — the mocha sauce was particularly memorable — and I kept thinking how great it would be beside a scoop of Three Twins ice cream.
With the core trends in mind, here are the categories and products that caught my attention.
Hot and Spicy
Sriracha was everywhere — not just as a tabletop sauce but as a flavoring in jams, chocolates, snacks, and more. Beyond the familiar brand, a number of companies offered unique bottled sriracha sauces and spicy condiments, confirming that heat remains a strong product driver.
Crunchy Munches
Healthy crunchy snacks were abundant. Roasted chickpeas from The Good Bean proved that garbanzo beans can be a flavorful, protein-rich snack in many seasonings, and they’ve even been developed into snack bars. Pop’d Kerns landed somewhere between a corn nut and popped corn — salty, sweet, and unexpectedly fun.
Virginia Cocktail Peanuts offered an elevated peanut experience: extra-large, super crunchy, and not greasy. D’vine Crush stood out as the most unusual snack: it uses the winemaking by-product known as the “crush,” combined with fruit and nuts to create mixes that echo the wines they begin with — a clever zero-waste concept and a conversation piece for entertaining.
Coconut chips were a big trend too. Dang’s coconut chips—gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and high in fiber—were a standout, inspired by Bangkok street food. Other crunchy finds included quinoa chips, flavored pita chips, pasta chips, and crunchy seaweed.
Not Soda, Not Water
Low-sugar beverages spanned creative sodas, ginger ales, tonics, and a return to craft cocktail mixers. Silk Road Soda impressed with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavor combinations, many of which paired pomegranate and mint. Bruce Cost Ginger Ale showcased ingredients like fresh turmeric, and Gus (Grown Up Soda) offered traditional and fruit-forward flavors like cranberry and grapefruit.
Tea also had a strong presence, with organic blends and unexpected pairings. Owl’s Brew was particularly clever: a tea blend formulated specifically to be used as a cocktail mixer, opening new possibilities for low-sugar craft cocktails.
The Flavor Factor
Creative condiments and spices rounded out the experience. Truffle ketchup and sundried tomato ketchup elevated the classic red condiment, adding depth and sophistication. Not Ketchup, a fruit-based sauce line, offered Cherry Chipotle, Blueberry White Pepper, and Smoky Date — inventive alternatives that encourage you to “dip differently.”
Olive oil producers paired premium oils with cocktails and creative recipes, and a product labeled “Sonomic Almost Vinegar” offered a lower-acidity alternative to traditional vinegar while delivering bright flavor. Mrs. A’s Famous Salsa Buena, a small California-made salsa, delivered bold flavor and great texture for dipping or drizzling.
I also encountered wine-infused grapeseed oils and gluten-free grapeseed flours from Salute Sante, an inventive way to use winemaking by-products. In the spice category, Victoria’s Gourmet stood out with blends such as Honey Aleppo, featuring Aleppo pepper’s sweet, slightly tangy heat that complements many dishes. Canaan Fair Trade showcased za’atar, a tangy Middle Eastern blend of thyme, sumac, sesame, and salt that pairs beautifully with olive oil, tomatoes, and proteins.
A few miscellaneous finds
There were several other notable products worth mentioning. Koda Farms displayed medium-grain Japanese Kokuho rice grown in California—ideal for sushi or sticky side dishes. Caffe Borsa offered one-cup pour-over coffee filters for high-quality coffee on busy mornings. Kugel Co. presented single-portion, freezer-ready noodle kugel reminiscent of homestyle recipes. And Fava Life introduced hummus made from fava beans instead of chickpeas, a nutrient-rich twist on a classic dip.
The Winter Fancy Food Show was a whirlwind of flavor, innovation, and sustainability-minded products. From spicy sauces and crunchy, healthy snacks to low-sugar beverages and inventive condiments, the show offered fresh takes on familiar favorites and introduced many surprises.
If you could attend the show, which foods or trends would you be most excited to try?