5 foods you’ll soon be eating

They may not be the traditional summer refresher, but they’re the talk of the gourmet world. Then again, so is a “potato” chip made from chickpeas (think falafel in a bag), a “bumpy” cake (the “bumps” are actually mounds of frosting) and a chia cereal (as in the chia seed of Chia Pet fame).

Yes, it’s time for the Summer Fancy Food Show, that annual expo of specialty foods and beverages. This year’s event, held at New York’s Javits Center from Sunday through Tuesday, featured more than 180,000 products from 2,400-plus companies spanning 80 countries and regions.

It all adds up to big business: Sales of gourmet products surged 22.1% from 2010 to 2012, reaching $85 billion, according to the Specialty Food Association, which organizes the show (there’s also a winter show held in San Francisco). But kale ice pops could be the next pomegranate smoothies or low-fat sandwich cookies. Food trends and hot products come and go.

With that in mind, MarketWatch combed the show floor — all four city blocks of it — to find a few products that speak to today’s gourmet-crazed palate and that might have a shot at standing the test of time. —Charles Passy

 

 

TeaPops

Just like the name implies, it’s tea in ice-pop form (slated to be available for around $2.50 apiece or $7 for a box of six). The brainchild of a Canadian nutrition expert who was looking for a healthy treat for her kids, TeaPops come in a variety of tea-based flavors (mango tango, cherry berry, tea-na colada), plus a classic iced tea version. They’re lightly sweetened (without refined sugar) and low in calories (20 to 60 each), and they have the refreshing taste of a glass of iced (make that very iced) tea. The product ties in with lots of trends, from the growing interest in tea and tea-based drinks (for example, Asian bubble tea) to contemporary versions of childhood treats (think gourmet spins on ice-cream sandwiches). Of course, if a TeaPop isn’t your thing, you can always opt for a kale ice pop — those are offered by Green Wave Smoothie Pops.

 

 

Bosco

Who can forget Bosco, the beloved chocolate syrup that gained a measure of fame from its mention in a “Seinfeld” episode (it was George’s ATM password). Bosco (about $8 for a 22-ounce squeeze bottle) never went away, but the 85-year-old brand is trying to introduce itself to a new generation, with an expanded flavor line (the newest addition: Bosco Mocha). It’s also touting Bosco in bar form – as in a Bosco chocolate bar. But Bosco isn’t the only retro brand aiming for a comeback. Remember the good folks at Choward’s, who make that strange-tasting violet gum? They’re now out with a guava candy.

JJ’s Sweets Cocomels

When is a caramel not quite a caramel? When it’s made from coconut milk instead of cow milk and called a Cocomel. But what’s remarkable about this fairly new confection (priced at around $25 for a 1-pound bag), courtesy of a Boulder, Colo., candymaker, is that it has almost the exact same chew and texture as a quality caramel. And while the coconut flavor is there, it’s subtler than one might expect. The product comes in several varieties — from salt-flavored Cocomels to chocolate-covered ones. But either way, Cocomels speak to those thirsting for all things coconut (coconut water is a huge and growing beverage category) and those looking for products that are free of common allergens (the standard Cocomel has no dairy).

 

 

Average Joe Artisan Bread Kit

Indiana entrepreneur Joe Bellavance indeed considers himself an average Joe — at least when it comes to baking bread. Meaning he’s not a trained pastry chef, but he does know the difference between a good, crusty loaf and the forgettable supermarket variety. So, as he perfected how to make that bread at home, he came up with — you guessed it — the Average Joe Artisan Bread Kit. It’s a thing of simplicity (priced at $99) – just a basic Dutch oven-style pot and some baker’s tools and baking ingredients (there’s a cheaper version available without a pot, too). But it does yield some very tasty — and properly chewy — bread. And it speaks to a growing make-at-home trend. Among the other kits on display at the Fancy Food Show were ones for making beer, mozzarella cheese and a mom-worthy apple crisp pie.

 

 

Holy Crap Cereal

The name might sound off-putting, but the Canadian family behind this cereal (priced at around $11 for an 8-ounce bag) tout that it’s “the world’s most amazing breakfast cereal.” And given that the product has already found its way into Whole Foods grocery stores and onto NBC’s Today Show (Kathie Lee and Hoda talked it up), there may be something to their claim. As the company explains, Holy Crap derives most of its “amazing” health benefits from the fact that it’s largely made with chia (as in the Chia Pet), a seed that was “once more valuable than gold to the Aztecs” and that has “a long history as a slow-burning rocket fuel for both athletes and warriors alike.” But the company is not the only ones making the claim: Chia is showing up in all sorts of foods of late, from other brands of cereal to seed and nut butters. As for that Holy Crap name, the company says it comes from the fact that customers are always surprised the cereal tastes so good — as in “Holy crap! I like it.”