Food Adventurist Aihui’s Favorites from San Francisco’s Fancy Food Show

Prepare to be hungry! Our favorite “Food Adventurist” Aihui takes us on a yum-worthy tour of the recent San Francisco Fancy Food Show:

The Fancy Food Show was back in town again, as it is every January in San Francisco. Over 1,500 food makers participate in the food show every year, showcasing their best and the finest. Everyone had a marketing gimmick, from big mascots to samples giveaway, all efforts to attract more business, distribution channels and press coverage. It’s an insane experience to eat your way through the show, but it’s all worth it!

Here are few that stood out from the crowd:

The PIG is not going anywhere! Bacon seems to be everywhere; there’s a bacon product to satisfy your savory or sweet cravings. Bacon chocolate from Vosges was unbelivable tasty and their Bacon Toffee ice-cream was sinfully good! Before you pop a bag of pop corn and enjoy your movie night, you may want to try Bacon Pop Corn from J & D’s the next time! The most unforgettable bacon product was Bacon Infused Trout Roe. Deborah Diamond, founder and CEO of California Caviar Company shared with me during our interview her vision of having sustainable caviar and gourmet foods accessible for everyone and everyday.

One of the side effects of attending the fancy food show is SUGAR RUSH! There were abundance chocolates, candies, sweet drinks throughout the exhibition halls! Two of my faves were gourmet Caramel Swirl mashmallows from Plush Puffs and Carbenet Dark Chocolates from Z. Cioccolato. Plush Puffs booth definitely got lots of attention with their little fire pots to let curious foodies toast their marshmallows!

What goes well with spicy, cruncy kimchi? What about Watermelon Wheat Beer? This combination may not sound tasty but you got to try it! It’s delicious! Mother-in-laws Kimchi, the brand and name itself was enough to catch my attention! It’s spicy, crunchy and nicely fermented! Gulping down a can of Watermelon Wheat Beer was definitely the way to tame the heat!

That’s a wrap for Fancy Food Show 2010! Hungry yet?

About the awesome Aihui: Aihui (pronounced as i-we) is a technologist, food adventurist, cook and a full-time foodie! Her never-ending quest for good food and love for technology were the key ingredients to whipping up a foodie social networking site, LoveWithFood.com, a place to discover and share a tasty array of recipes and products to feed the art and soul of cooking. Follow us on twitter: @lovewithfood and @aihui

From one Guru to another: Top Food Trends 2010

When it comes to social media, “gurus” seem to be multiplying like rabbits. According to an hysterically spot-on post from the always wicked-smart B.L. Ochman, there are in fact, nearly 16,000 of them on Twitter. I point this out because my Top Food Trends 2010 article features a genuine guru, one with 25 years of near-psychic food predictions. I grew up reading Progressive Grocer, thanks to a supermarket exec Dad, so I know the real deal when I see it — and that happens to be Phil Lempert, aka The Supermarket Guru ®. Recently, he invited visitors to his site to participate in a 2010 Food Trends poll.

Here’s the upshot: (For me, there were a couple of surprises, most notably in the social media responses.)

What will be the top food trend for 2010? (select one)

Private labels:
22%
Transparency/Sustainability:
19%
Baby boomer-driven products:
17%
Social networking/food apps:
10%
Rise of the “Anti-Foodie”:
3%
Relaxation foods:
5%
Shorter ingredient lists:
24%

In 2010, I will be more likely to purchase (select one)
Private labels:
42%
Co-branded private labels:
32%
Brand name products:
26%

In 2010, I will be more likely to purchase (select all that apply)

Ground on demand meat:
17%
Select cuts of meat I prefer:
53%
Pre-packaged ground meat case:
30%

How important will Country of Origin labeling be to you in 2010? (select one)

Very important:
54%
Somewhat important:
38%
Not at all important:
8%

Which of the following “word-of-mouth” outlets will you use to talk about food in 2010? (select all that apply)
Twitter:
6% (Seems low, considering the prevalence of foodie tweets)
Facebook:
40% (Surprisingly strong)
Consumer blogs:
54% (Blogs continue to be influential)

Which of the following iPhone apps will you use to research food in 2010? (select all that apply)
GroceryIQ:
6%
Locavore:
1%
Pair it:
0%
Yelp:
3%
iEatOut:
3%
Soliel Organics:
1%
iFood Assistant:
3%
Nutrition Navigation:
4%
ScanAvert:
2%
Recipezaar Sifter:
4%
Urban Spoon:
3%
Good Guide:
4%
Seafood Watch:
4% (Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app deserves more use!)
None:
61%
Foodie or anti-foodie?
Foodie:
78%
Anti-Foodie:
22%

How much do you expect to spend on food next year?
More than last year:
24%
The same as last year:
59%
Less than last year:
17%

What trends to do you think will affect 2010 prices most? (select all that apply)
Weather conditions:
22%
Healthcare reform:
13%
Small store formats:
5%
The economy:
59%

To learn more about The Supermarket Guru, click here for the web site.
Click here for the Facebook page.

Find him on Twitter

And for more Food Trends, here’s what chefs say will be hot in 2010.