WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRNewswire) — The top five food trends for 2012 have been picked by a panel of trendspotters at the 58th Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. The show is the largest marketplace for specialty foods and beverages in North America, with 180,000 products on display including cheeses, sauces, snacks, oils and natural and organic products from the U.S. and 80 countries and regions.
The trends are:
Small Batch Mixers
- Morris Kitchen - Ginger Syrup
- Royal Rose - Simple Syrup
- Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods - Cherry Drinking Balsamic
- Gingras Vinegar - Gingras Extraold Apple Cider Vinegar
Local Global
- Chulita's Famous – Sofrito
- Taste of Ethiopia – Misir (spicy red lentils)
- Wild Thymes Farms – Moroccan BBQ Sauce
- That Indian Drink – Blueberry Orange Cardamom
Cookie Cracker Crunch
- Seth Greenberg's Authentic New York Brownie Crunch
- HannaMax Baking – All Natural Cookie Chips
- Trump's Food Interest – Slims Dessert Crackers
- Effie's Homemade – Sea Salt and Lavender Crackers
The New South
- RR Enterprises – Rodger's Banana Pudding Sauce
- Callie's Charleston Biscuits – Pimiento Cheese
- Steve's Ice Cream – Bourbon Pecan Pie
- Luquire Family Foods – Carolina Creole
Chocolate Change Ups
- Stonewall Kitchen – Chocolate Jam
- Tea Forte – Coconut Chocolate Truffle Tea
- Sea Salt Superstore – Chocolate Fleur de Sel
- Droga Confections – Put Your Money on Honey Caramels
Other trends identified are pistachio, in butters and desserts; beer as an ingredient in jams, chocolates and crackers; coffee and chocolate combinations; and rosemary in sweets.
The trendspotters are: Mary Beth Albright, freelance writer; Bonnie Benwick, The Washington Post; Kate Donovan, InStyle Magazine; Nancy Wall Hopkins and Erin Simpson Lozier, Better Homes and Gardens; Lisa McManus, America's Test Kitchen; Susie Timm, Girl Meets Fork; Joan Nathan, contributor to The New York Times and Tablet; Nycci Nellis, The List Are You On It, Foodie and the Beast Radio; Denise Purcell, Specialty Food Media/foodspring.com.