NEW YORK โ Elevated takes on classic condiments abounded at the Summer Fancy Food Show. Spicy vodka sauce, ketchup sweetened with organic honey, and black truffle brown butter were among the thousands of new products on display during the event, held June 25-27 in New York.
The Specialty Food Association, which produces the Fancy Food Shows, named convenience as a top trend heading into the year as consumers seek items that simplify meal preparation while adding the flavor and flair of a restaurant dish. Several standout items at the show were developed by or in partnership with Michelin-starred chefs.
Carbone Fine Food, New York, added to its line of jarred sauces a spicy vodka sauce popularized by the spicy rigatoni vodka dish on the menu at Carbone, an upscale Italian restaurant brand with locations in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and Hong Kong. The latest addition to its retail offerings was created in partnership with the founders of Major Food Group, Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi and Jeff Zalaznick.
โAs I like to say, our process is beautifully simple, but impossibly difficult in creating a product of superior taste and quality,” Mr. Carbone said. “We’ve taken this same approach with Spicy Vodka, arguably our most popular dish, to provide Carbone fans and new consumers alike with the opportunity to recreate that same taste experience in the comfort of their own home from our family to yours.”
The Jersey Tomato Co., Windermere, Fla., in partnership with chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio unveiled Colicchio Kitchen, a collection including tomato sauces as well as an expansion into condiments and dressings. New items include lemon garlic mayonnaise and roasted red pepper mayonnaise.
“I originally partnered with the Jersey Tomato Co. because I had never tasted anything that came as close to my grandmother’s ‘summer sauce’,” Mr. Colicchio said. “We’ve captured the taste of summer. Nothing really added, you get the natural flavor of the tomato.”
A pair of professional chefs launched Black & Bolyard, a brand of brown butter packaged in jars. The single-ingredient spread is described as โmore delicious, deeply toasted version of butterโ that may be schmeared on toast, melted and drizzled on popcorn, baked in cookies or pies, and spooned onto sauteed fish or steak.
Photo: Primal Kitchen
Brown butter prepared at home often is not brown enough or burned, according to founders Andrew Black and Eric Bolyard. Flavors include original, black truffle and salted honey. The product is shelf-stable for 12 months. The company also offers bulk sizes for food manufacturers, bakeries and restaurants.
Primal Kitchen, Oxnard, Calif., introduced several new items including Buffalo sauce and Korean barbecue sauce. The brandโs take on mayonnaise, described as sweet, tangy and creamy, is formulated with no eggs, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
โMayonnaise is notoriously polarizing but have no fear because the Primal Kitchen Whip Dressing & Spread isn’t mayo โ it’s in a class of its own,” said Audrey Burger, head of commercialization and innovation. “Whip is a perfectly sweet and spiced spread that’s so good you’ll be delighted to learn it’s also plant-based, free from artificial sweeteners and made with fats we love, like avocado oil.”
Also new from Primal Kitchen is A Tad Sweet Ketchup, formulated with organic ingredients including honey.
Other specialty staples spotted at the show included duck fat cooking oil spray, organic spicy tahini sauce, harissa saffron garlic sauce, Mexican-style chili crunch and an arrabbiata sauce made with surplus tomatoes.
