Top 5 Food Trends Announced at Winter Fancy Food Show

A panel of food trend experts have nibbled their way through the largest Winter Fancy Food Show in its 40-year history to identify the top five food trends bound for store shelves in the coming year. The West Coast's largest trade show devoted exclusively to specialty food took place this year at Moscone Center in San Francisco. The exhibit halls brimmed over with 80,000 examples of the latest chocolate, cheese, olive oil, granolas, salsas and charcuterie from across the U.S. and 30 countries, enough to fill four football fields. Is a new kale about to be born? Here are the trend experts' top five picks: Cheese Twists Yancey's Fancy – Grilled Bacon Cheeseburger Artisan Cheese Sonoma Creamery – Mr. Cheese O's Silva Regal Spanish Food – Manchego-Style Cheese Flavored Olive Oil Angie's Boomchickapop – Caramel & Cheddar Mix Breakfast Served all Day Chuao Chocolatier – Strawberry Waffle Wild Milk Chocolate Uncle Andy's Jerky – Bandito Loco Spicy Coffee Beef Jerky The Republic of Tea – Cinnamon Toast HiCaf Tea Dang Foods – Savory Bacon Coconut Chips Time for Turmeric Rishi Tea – Turmeric Ginger Tea HealthVerve -- Turmeric Rice Bruce Cost Ginger Ale – Passion Fruit Ginger Ale with Turmeric Navitas Naturals – Turmeric Tamari Almonds Cruciferous Crusade Creative Snacks – Broccoli Chips Alive & Radiant – Arugula Cabbage Veggie Krunch Wonderfully Raw Gourmet - Tamarind Almond Crunch Brussel Bytes Genuine Grub – Spicy Pickled Cabbage Vanilla Bean-anza Heber Valley Artisan Cheese – Vanilla Bean Cheddar Cheese Choctal – Single-Origin Vanilla Ice Creams Dancing Deer Baking Co. – Pure Vanilla Bean Shortbread Milkboy Swiss Chocolate – White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla Drink Daily Greens Enlighten Hemp Milk with Blue-Green Algae and Vanilla "Consumers are craving food with taste appeal, a sense of adventure, and a decided healthy glow. These new products at the show play right into that appetite," says panelist Denise Purcell, editor, Specialty Food Media. Last year's trends are still going strong. The show had plenty of gluten-free foods, ancient grains, coconut, and sriracha. And yes, kale is still going strong. The Specialty Food Association trendspotters are Emma Christensen, Recipe Editor, The Kitchn, Sarah  Fritsche, Staff Writer, San Francisco Chronicle; Christine Gallary, Food and Cooking Editor, The Kitchn; Kara Nielsen, Culinary Director, Sterling-Rice Group; Denise Purcell Editor, Specialty Food Media;David Sax, Freelance food journalist/author; Nancy Hopkins, Senior Deputy Editor, Food & Entertainment, Better Homes & Gardens; and Ashley Koff, RD, Editorial Director, The Ashley Koff Approved (AKA) List.