Some unexpected trends will soon be hitting stores for 2016.
At the 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show, which is owned and produced by the Specialty Food Association, an expert panel of trendspotters discovered a slew of specialty products that are expected to be hot trends in 2016.
Snacks made with crickets, grass-fed everything and protein where you least expect it, are among the many treats that are expected to hit the shelves in 2016.
With enough chocolate, cheese and olive oil to fill four football fields, the Winter Fancy Food Show is the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty food on the West Coast, and is held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Here are the panel’s Top Five Trends for 2016:
Southeast (Asia) meets West
Little Red Dot Kitchen – Bak Kwa meat snacks
Saffron Road – Tandoori Seasoned Chicken Nuggets
Wei Kitchen – Shallot Oil
Hey Boo – Thai Iced Tea Coconut Caramels
Grazing on Grass
Organic Valley – Vanilla Grassmilk Yogurt
The New Primal – Grass-fed Beef Jerky
Dahlicious Inc. – Organic Cucumber Mint Lemon Lassi with grass-fed milk
Steve’s Ice Cream – Made with grass-fed milk
Pushing Protein
Bitty Foods – Chiridos – snacks with cricket flour
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods – Cinnamon Hemp Heart Bites
Explore Cuisine – Organic Edamame Spaghetti
Chicago Bar Company – Chocolate Sea Salt RXBAR
By the Cup
Ricebliss – Acai & Chia Brown Rice Snack
Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods – Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad
Purely Elizabeth – Cranberry Pecan Ancient Grain Granola Plus Puffs
LonoLife Chicken Bone Broth in Recyclable K-Cup
Purple Reigns
Back to the Roots – Organic Stoneground Purple Corn Flakes
Love Beets – Smoky BBQ Shredded Beets
Lotus Foods – Purple Potato and Brown Rice Ramen
The Republic of Tea – Sonoma Cabernet Iced Tea
The trendspotters include individuals who follow and write about food trends for leading media outlets and consulting firms. The Specialty Food Association trendspotters are Emma Christensen, editor, The Kitchn; Sarah Fritsche, staff writer, San Francisco Chronicle; Christine Gallary, Food and Cooking editor, The Kitchn; Kara Nielsen, culinary director, Sterling-Rice Group; Denise Purcell, editor, Specialty Food Media; Nancy Hopkins, senior deputy editor, Food & Entertainment, Better Homes & Gardens; Ashley Koff, RD, editorial director, The Ashley Koff Approved (AKA) List; Amy Sherman, freelance food writer and Jerry James Stone, cookbook author.