Coming Soon to a Grocery Near You

Surveying the Specialty Food Association Summer Fancy Food Show at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan last week meant enjoying that inevitable sample slice of Iberico ham as well as the latest chocolate truffle (this year it must be healthy, not sinful). Among the more than 200,000 products from 2,400 companies at the trade show were some alluring new items and notable trends. Gochujang, the Korean condiment, has traveled far and wide: Stonewall Kitchen in York, Maine, offered a gochujang sauce. Honey was extremely popular, as was jerky, made as frequently from mushrooms and other vegetables as meat. Dried seaweed flakes added a bit of crunch, umami and nutrients when strewed over salads, rice dishes and seafood pasta. Indian flavors — in sauce mixes, seasonings and snacks, including popped water lily seeds — are having their moment. In a related development, turmeric added that touch of “wellness” and gold (but not much flavor) to teas, vinegar, snack puffs and pasta. A clever item that caught my eye was frozen arancini, ready to heat and eat, from Lundberg Family Farms, the rice growers in Richvale, California. They come in several flavors, including gochujang, but alas, not turmeric.