Move Fast and Eat Things: Zuck's Take on the Fancy Food Show!

Always Be Innovating (Even in Condiments)

Alright team let's talk food! I just got back from the Specialty Food Association's Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center. And let me tell you it was...fancy. Two thousand exhibitors showing off their food and drinks – it’s like a hackathon but for your taste buds. According to Christine Couvelier this show is where the trends are born. Think of it as the Menlo Park of mustard. They say that past show trends include uses for vinegar oil based hot sauce and lavender as a flavor. I don't see the lavender one I thought the world was already over that.

Dubai Chocolate: The Friendster of Sweets?

But here's the thing: not all trends stick. Couvelier called out Dubai chocolate. Apparently it's everywhere right now thanks to TikTok. But Couvelier doesn't think we will see it next year. It reminds me of Friendster honestly. Hot for a minute then poof! Gone. You gotta build something that lasts something with real network effects. Like say a platform that connects billions of people...you know something *small*.

Olive Oil 2.0: Now With More Flavor (and Sherry?)

The showstopper? Olive oil. I mean people have been using it for decades but now it's getting a serious upgrade. Flavored infusions are the new black. Castillo de Canena had harissa olive oil and olive oil finished in sherry casks. Sherry casks! It's like they're trying to make olive oil fancy... which let's be honest is kind of working. I wonder if we could train an AI model to predict the next big olive oil flavor. Just throwing ideas out there!

Mustard Mania: Caviar of Condiments?

And mustard oh boy mustard is having a moment. There's Pop Mustards calling itself the "caviar of mustards." Look I respect the hustle but caviar? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. They are using fermentation smoking and brining to bring more flavor. Meanwhile Caplansky's Delicatessen is bringing that deli flavor to the market. It's a mustard arms race out there people! I may need to acquire one of these mustard companies...

Plant Based Pivot: From Vegan to 'Just Tastes Good'

Remember the plant based craze? It was all the rage for a hot second but it seems like it's fading away. This year there were fewer plant based booths. But don't count them out just yet. These days they are leading with taste not vegan cred. Umyum has cashew based cheese and butter substitutes. It's all about deliciousness and less about labels. It's like they finally realized you can't build a sustainable trend on virtue signaling alone. Remember that Metaverse team!

Swicy's Revenge: The Sweet and Spicy Singularity

Finally the trend that refuses to die: "swicy." Sweet and spicy is everywhere. Mike's Hot Honey is teaming up with Heluva Good for a swicy dip. Smash Kitchen is doing Hot Honey Ketchup. Even Slawsa is getting in on the action with sweet and spicy cabbage relishes. It's like the flavor equivalent of Zuck in a hoodie: surprisingly versatile and possibly a little controversial. All in all a very interesting show. I'm already cooking up (pun intended) some new ideas I think the future of food will be AI and Machine Learning!