Fancy Food Show: In Search of the Next Big Thing in Greek Products
Posted by estiator at 12 August, at 10 : 57 AM Print
EACH YEAR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FOOD-INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS CONVERGE ON MANHATTAN TO PARTICIPATE IN WHAT HAS BECOME ONE OF THE LARGEST EXHIBITIONS OF FOOD ON THE PLANET. PRODUCERS, IMPORTERS, BROKERS, DISTRIBUTORS, RESTAURATEURS AND FOODIES FILL THREE FLOORS OF THE MAMMOTH JAVITS CENTER ON THE WEST SIDE, LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE ITEMS TO BRING TO THEIR END CUSTOMERS.
ARRIVING at the Specialty Food Association’s Fancy Food Show at New York City’s Jacob Javits Center can be a drag. Parking is nearly impossible, and hyperexpensive when it isn’t. In the heat of late June, the walk from the parking lot is a trek in itself, and then there’s all the walking once you get inside. But all that hassle, cost, and inconvenience is well worth it as, once inside, the space is transformed into a veritable Disneyworld of global delicacies, craft concoctions, and otherworldly yummies. This being my second time at the show, I came prepared—in other words, I came hungry.
Just a few booths into my tasting journey through the Javits aisles, I was fortunate to bump into a person who would become my sidekick for the two days spent at the show. I had stopped at a stall to sample some fine chocolates (one of my consulting clients had asked that I source for him some quality chocolates to put on the dessert list of his fine-dining establishment) when I made a new acquaintance. The young man next to me had gotten there before me, and I listened to his questions so as not to have to repeat the same ones. In the course of his queries, he informed the chocolatier behind the stall that he was there to check out the show because he wanted to see if he should have a presence there next year with the olive oil that he was importing into the country.
Hearing “olive oil,” I glanced over at the name on the tag that was looped around his neck with a lanyard. Yup, another Greek.
“Από ποιο μέρος της Έλλαδος είσαι;” I said, uttering the quintessential question that one Greek asks another upon meeting.
Tommy Agriodimas’s father, it turns out, hails from a village on Mount Taygetos, overlooking Sparta to the east, and Gytheio to the west. His olive oil, Kastania, is named for the village where many of his cousins, uncles, and aunts continue to live. Keeping it all in the family, Agriodimas is now packaging the liquid gold that said relatives produce and bringing it into the United States, where he hopes to carve out a small place in the niche boutique olive oil market. His full-time gig is as a photographer, working for international publications and traveling the world from his base in Brooklyn. We became fast friends, and I helped him make headway with potential business contacts while he helped me make my way through the labyrinth of compelling new products, trends, and flavors.
Greek products, of course, were well represented, with producers, importers, and distributors having a solid presence. Fantis, Kontos, Krinos, Loumidis, Optima, and Sirob, for example, companies that have long been importing, promoting, distributing, and often manufacturing Greek products, had significant presences, showcasing pitas, olive oils, cheeses, and ready-made foods, among many others. Where many companies participating in the show are there to find importers or distributors, these well-established companies are there for restaurant owners and food retailers that are looking to source products for their businesses, bringing their specialty food offerings to end users—consumers in search of exciting flavors and food experiences.
|TASTE TESTING
Coursing through the myriad displays and tasting tables, my sidekick and I went in search of the most exciting items and trends, hoping they will turn up on restaurant menus and specialty-food-store shelves, and perhaps even helping to identify the Next Big Thing in America’s ongoing love affair with Greek foods.
OPTIMA FOODS
DAKOS
Rusks made most often from barley and twice-baked are appearing on menus in some of the most cosmopolitan Greek restaurants this side of the Atlantic, and Optima offers a complete line, many of which are made in Crete, where it’s known as “dakos.” Hitting these dry bread-biscuit hybrids with just a touch of water or milk awakens the product, which is most often used as a centerpiece in salads, offering a wonderfully textural element with earthy, wholesome flavor.
KONTOS
TOASTED PITA BITS
Kontos has long been a go-to company for all manner of flatbreads—from pita (plain or pocket style) to naan, and from lavash to chapati and literally everything in between. With Greek dips becoming a “thing” here in the U.S., we looked at the Kontos line and landed on these crisp pita snacks as their perfect munchie accompaniment. Please pass the melitzanosalata!
FANTIS
PERGAMOT FRUIT
Preserve Fantis, a manufacturer of dairy products and pitas, has long been one of the largest importers of Greek products into the U.S. Its various Monastiri fruit preserves are the perfect companion to a dish of rich, thick, tangy Greek yogurt. Pergamot, or “bergamot orange,” is a citrus fruit grown in an area that begins at the Ionian Sea, circling the Eastern Mediterranean rim until it reaches Tunisia in the south. Of all the many delicious flavors, we found this most compelling.
MELINDA
HONEY
In the 1990s, whenever I would travel through Greece with friends from the U.S., I would always make sure to have them order Greek yogurt for breakfast. The reaction was always the same—sheer delight. These days, I encourage them to sample the honeys that our Mediterranean home produces, and that same reaction is there again. Melinda, which was represented with a booth of its own, had a lineup of some of the most delicious Greek honeys I’ve ever tasted—honey made from bees that pollinate plants of heather, fir, oak, orange blossom, and thyme; honey that needs nothing but a spoon and a dream.
LOUMIDIS
NESCAFE INSTANT COFFEE
For all of the amazing products that Loumidis imports and manufactures (best known for Papagalos coffee, Papadopoulos biscuits, and Misko pasta), we still think that an authentic Greek frappe, made only with Nescafe instant coffee made in Greece, is the one of the best candidates for the Next Big Thing from Greece.
PALIRRIA
SWEET & SPICY DOLMAS
Palirria’s line of spiced dolmas is great, but this specific offering, filled with rice and hot cherry peppers (similar to peppadews) has an irresistible combination of heat and sweetness that takes the traditional Greek food staple to a new level. Part Greek, part Asian, this is a perfect party snack or bar bite.
ILIADA, CRETAN MILLS, ENTOPIA, ARISTON, OLYMPION
BOUTIQUE OLIVE OILS
These companies, along with others present at the 2019 Fancy Food Show, are among the premier olive oil producers in Greece. Iliada, which took a coveted silver award at the SFA’s annual Sofi awards, was showing a single estate bottle, as well as an “early harvest” bottle and several offerings infused with things like chocolate and rose. Entopia, in the meantime, showcased its premier offering—an organic, low-acidity EVOO that received a Superior Taste Award from iTQi, as well as a design award for its alluring packaging. Ariston, which is headquartered in Bloomfield, CT, brings its oil in from family producers near Kalamata. Its extensive line of infused extra-virgin olive oils offers creative chefs and curious home cooks limitless possibilities.
KRINOS
EPSA SOUR CHERRY DRINK
While hipsters and millennials generally eschew mass-produced sugary beverages, they will still occasionally indulge in a refreshing soft drink, as long as that soft drink has a story behind it. Experience-driven, these consumers love to discover new taste treats, even if in the case of Epsa, the “new” is relative (its considered a classic back in Greece where the recipe has remained unchanged for nearly 90 years).
IMPROVING THE PLANET THROUGH FOOD
Food with a social conscience represents an entirely new way of looking at how we cook, how we serve food, and how we eat. Catchphrases like “sustainability” and “organic” are at the center of some of the biggest food trends, while movements like veganism and gluten-free dieting are gaining ground as lifestyle choices. It’s not surprising, then, to see a significant amount of foods dedicated to the future of food, a future where animal proteins are to a large extent displaced by plant-based alternatives; where the definition of dairy comes to include foods that have no relation to a living mammal. In the meantime, mass-produced foods packed with preservatives and chemical stabilizers are losing market share, while “clean label” foods from small producers are increasing in popularity. Aside from the plant-based meat alternatives that are popping up everywhere, we thought we’d give our readers a list of some items (not Greek) presented at the food show that we found interesting.
|FLAVOR DISCOVERIES
YES, THERE ARE NEW FOOD ITEMS WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE, AND YES, THERE ARE GREEK ITEMS, BUT THERE ARE SOOOO MANY OTHER ITEMS THAT AREN’T NEW AND AREN’T GREEK BUT ARE JUST TOO GOOD NOT TO MENTION. HERE’S A LIST OF SOME OF OUR FAVORITES…
TARTUFLANGHE
TARTUFISSIMA NO. 19
CEO Dorella Sanakidis (born in Italy to a Greek father and an Italian mother) has an incredible line of truffle-based condiments (the truffle ketchup is breathtaking) and a powdered pesto that is an innovation of food and science. Still, our favorite is this pasta product, a thin dried egg tagliatelle infused with real truffles (she only uses real truffle in any of her products). We actually took home a sample, cooked it in a light cream sauce with shallots, a touch of garlic, a hint of dill, pecorino romano and with a poached egg nested at the top. It was heaven.
FRUITION CHOCOLATE WORKS
MADAGASCAR SAMBIRANO 74%
This award-winning dark chocolate is made in the Catskill Mountains with cacao from Akesson’s Estate in Madagascar. A fruit-forward dark chocolate made with organic cocoa beans and organic cane sugar has notes of raspberry and citrus, a perfect combination to finish a superb meal.
FERMIN
IBERICO ACORN-FED HAM
Fermin’s acorn-fed, free-range ham comes from 100 percent Iberico pigs. From September to February these animals double their weight on a diet based on acorns and grass, growing from 200 to 400 pounds. Sometimes referred to as the “Kobe beef of pork” because of its intense marbling and flavors, this ham is cured for a minimum of 36 months.
DUE VITTORIE
APPLE VINEGAR
Located in Modena, Italy, Due Vittorie makes some of the most regarded balsamic vinegars and has been associated with Chef Massimo Bottura, whose Michelin-starred restaurant was recently rated one of the top five in the world. Their traditional balsamic vinegars are full-bodied with vibrant fruit and just the right amount of acidity. Their apple vinegar is balanced perfectly between sweet and sour, made from fresh Italian apples.
ZOE’S MEATS
ABSINTHE UNCURED SALAMI
Founder George Gavros started this California-based company after relocating from Quincy, Massachusetts, where his family owned a retail produce and specialty store. Zoe’s Meats has grown to include an extensive line of cured meats, with this recent curious addition garnering heaps of praise. The salami is made with New Mexican hatch chili peppers infused with absinthe liquor.
OATE
This company’s line of ice creamlike frozen desserts are made from oatmilk and are dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and gulten-free but not taste-free.
SWEET TAHINI
This Massachusetts-based company draws inspiration from Israel. It’s tahini spreads all packed a punch of flavor, particularly the carob tahini spread (carob is a chocolate-like food that comes from the pod of the carob tree, which is tried, roasted and ground into a powder).
MUDLR SHITAKE MUSHROOM CHIPS
These dried versions of the gourmet ’shrooms are seasoned with sriracha, Kansas City BBQ and ranch flavors; your choice.
FIZZY FOX
A line of vinegar – based soft drinks with flavors such as berry cinnamon, pineapple mint and carrot ginger turmeric. Sounds strange, tastes pretty darned good.
