2023 Fancy Food Show Shows Off Spain

(by Pamela Wnuck, photos by Irv Wnuck) Last week we attended the 2023 Winter Fancy Food Show hosted by Specialty Food Association sure knows how to throw a fanciful party. Jackpot!  

 The show takes place at the new West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is a whopping 1.4 million square feet. The three-day event ran from Sunday, January15 to Tuesday the 17th. There were exhibitors from Spain, Italy, Iceland, Germany, France, Mexico and other parts of the world. This year’s show grew 35 percent in attendance compared to last year’s show. 

Spain’s gastronomy was highlighted again this year. We attended Chef Mat Schuster owner of Canela Bistro & Wine (SF) modern tapas Spanish cooking classes. Chef Mat showcased gourmet Spanish foods and Garcia De La Cruz Organic EVOO.

Following the trends toward health Garcia De La Cruz, unveiled its expanded lineup of Spanish EVOO. Which adds a healthy flavor to a Mediterranean diet, which cuts the risk of heart disease and stroke according to Isabella Ovalle, Director of Marketing. 

We walked the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center which was packed with thousands of specialty food and beverage exhibitors and attendees. We chitchatted with exhibitors, watched cooking demos, got new ideas and tasted until we couldn’t eat another bite or walk another step. Much more than the tastings we enjoyed the one-on-one interaction with people from all over the world who share a passion for food. 

What we found trending: 

BOOZE –FREE BEVERAGES 

Several brands at the show sampled alcohol-free wines, aperitifs and bitters. First-time exhibitor Mixolosheproduces a range of delicious non-alcoholic cocktails (gin, whiskey and tequila). The lineup includes orange old-fashioned, blueberry G&T, tropical smoky margarita, mango chili crush (my favorite) and more. I found these cocktails to be great-tasting alternatives and I’m picky!

GLOBALLY INSPIRED PANTRY STAPLES 

We discovered a crop of globally inspired condiments, sauces, oils, snacks, honey, and seasonings. Anything spicy or hot seems to be the rage. Kam’s small batch Chile Sauce debuted their new label. Kam’s Chili Sauce is made in California and based on an old family recipe. This “SPICY & HOT” trend is never going away.

ALTERNATIVE CAVIAR 

The meatless category is driving consumers to look for alternatives in caviar, too. CAVIARUM Is a Toronto based company that specializes in producing the finest alternative caviar products. Their line of products resemble the rarest, most exclusive, and expensive high-end-caviars that can be found in the food industry at a fraction of the cost. For the 2023 Fancy Food Show they showcased their new fifth addition to their line of products, Ocean Pearls, an alternative to the rare Scampi caviar. Delicious and not too salty!

Additional products spotted:

Milk teas, mushroom teas, Ginger Tea in Chai, sunflower seed milk, plant-based sushi, mango berry jalapeño compote. We also saw an array of cheeses and charcuterie meats from all over the world.

For more information please check:

//www.garciadelacruzoliveoil.com/our-olive-oils/ During the FFS we had the Garcia De La Cruz team to our home for homemade pizza. Really nice folks!