I attended the Fancy Food Show in NYC earlier this week and I think I’m still in chocolate overdrive mode! Is there a limit to how much chocolate one can eat in a day? I ask that question every year when I go to the show and I still don’t know the answer. Everyone always says that they think the show must be really fun to attend….which it is….but no one wants to believe me when I say that it’s a really hard show to do! Really, it is. Seriously. Keep in mind that all I’m looking for is chocolate and that starts at 10:00 a.m. You go from booth to booth tasting fabulous creations….toffees, caramels, bars, truffles….and by about 12:30 are pretty close to your sugar maximum. Oh, but wait. We’re only in row 900 out of 5700….must keep going. Do all of these toffees really taste different? Yes, yes they do. Perhaps it’s time to sample some of the coffees to clear the senses (especially the tastebuds) before we start over again. Maybe a little bit of bread and olive oil or some pasta with pesto. Ok, those were good, but we don’t carry those things at Max’s. More chocolate. But don’t forget that we kind of “stretch” our definition of chocolates for our holiday gift baskets to include chocolate cookies and/or brownies. Must taste those too. I mean, not all brownies are created equal…right? How about some hot chocolate? So, after it’s all over at 5:00, I always find myself in search of the biggest green salad I can find in New York! And then it’s on to day 2 of the show! It’s kind of funny….the Fancy Food Show is the only show that I shop that my husband wants to attend with me….what, he doesn’t want to go jewelry shopping? I can’t figure that one out!
In terms of trends, sea salt and hot chili pepper continue to be strong. I also saw a lot of chocolates with different herbs and spices. I loved the chocolate covered mustard seeds, as well as the spiced mendiants. Once all of the chocolatiers return home and get re-settled, we’ll be talking with them about some orders for the store, so stay tuned for some new products at Max’s!