SWEETS & SNACKS EXPO 2016

(Photo from the National Confectioners Association)

I definitely felt like a kid in a candy store when I attended this annual trade industry event at Chicago’s McCormick Place (May 24^th to May 26^th).  The National Confectioners Association sponsors the Expo, which focuses on all-things candy, nuts, cookies, and snacks.  The event draws over fifteen thousand buyers, dealers, formulators, and manufacturers from ninety different countries.  It is the premiere event of its type, and features thousands of products from nearly seven hundred exhibitors.  This is where new products are launched, along with traditional and specialty brands.  There are also plenty of workshops and keynote speakers to talk about the latest technological advances in the industry, as well as business strategies.  I also had an opportunity to review a few of the delicious products that were exhibited.  Hope you enjoy reading about them!  For more information, visit http://www.sweetsandsnacks.com http://www.candyusa.com

~ Palate Pleasing Tastes ~

Farmer’s Pantry USA Original and Jalapeño Cornbread Crisps ~ These tasty snacks combine the best of Cornbread with the crispy, crunchiness of a snack chip, and are made from ingredients grown on American farms.  These delicious products are slow roasted to maximize flavor and nutrition, and are made from real ingredients like enriched whole wheat flour, barley flour, enriched yellow corn meal, sea salt, rosemary extract, dehydrated jalapeño, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic.  Farmer’s Pantry also gives back and supports the American farmer and their charitable organizations.  My Take:  These are great crumbled and added to soup or chili.  For more information, visit http://www.farmerspantry.farm

Gimbal’s Fine Candies Gourmet Jelly Beans, Chewy Cherry Hearts, and Scottie Dogs ~ One taste of these candies will make you an immediate fan and have you appreciate why these are like no ordinary confection.  Each one of these delicious varieties is made with real ingredients like Vitamin C, cocoa, sugar, apple juice, cherry juice, licorice root, and pure anise.  Using pure, real ingredients improves the overall flavor of each product, compared to other similar products that use artificial ingredients, which diminish a product’s overall quality.  I enjoyed all three of these delicious products.  The forty-one flavors in the Gourmet Jelly Beans burst with flavor, and I had fun mixing them up to create interesting flavor combinations.  The Chew Cherry Hearts had a multitude of sweet cherry flavors that included Chocolate Cherry, Cherry Daiquiri, Bing Cherry, Kiwi Cherry, Wild Cherry, Cherry Vanilla, and Cherry Cola.  Lastly, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Scottie Dogs; I never was a huge fan of licorice, but these made me a convert.  For more information, visit http://www.gimbalscandy.com

Nutty Bavarian Roasted & Cinnamon Glazed Almonds and Cashews ~ These delicious nut varieties are dry roasted and sugar glazed to perfection in a single patented process.  I loved both the Almonds and Cashews varieties.  The crunchiness of the dry roasting, the subtle hint of salt, and the sugary glazed coating made for the perfect preparation and seasonings for this snack treat.  For more information, visit http://nuttyb.com

SuperSeedz Gourmet Pumpkin Seeds, Sea Salt, Maple Sugar & Sea Salt, Cinnamon & Sugar, Super Spicy, and Somewhat Spicy ~ I’ve always loved pumpkin seeds, but when it came to having to work hard removing their shells, I lost interest in this tasty nut morsel, but SuperSeedz has taken care of that.  The seed is shelled and then dry roasted in small batches without any oil.  Dry roasting brings out the natural nut oils and intensifies the natural flavor of the seed.   In addition to shelled pumpkin seeds, other ingredients used in their varieties include organic sugar, cinnamon, maple sugar, unrefined sea salt, cayenne, black, crushed red, and Habanero peppers.  All products are non-GMO, gluten free, allergen free, and cholesterol free.  They’re also packed with protein, zinc, and iron.  All of these varieties were tasty and delicious snacks.  My Take:  I enjoyed the Maple Sugar & Sea Salt and the Cinnamon & Sugar varieties in my hot oatmeal, and also added to my plain yogurt; they were delicious in unsweetened applesauce, too.  I could easily see these varieties being added to fruit breads, muffins, or pancakes.  The Sea Salt and Somewhat Spicy varieties were great in my salads (I didn’t taste the Super Spicy, because I don’t do well with intensely spicy seasonings; the Somewhat Spicy provided just the right amount of kick.). For more information, visit https://www.superseedz.com

Wonderfully Raw Gourmet Delights Brownie Coco-Roons, Lemon Pie Coco-Roons, and Vanilla Maple Coco-Roons ~ These morsels of raw deliciousness remind me of teacakes.  Their flavors are vibrant, with rich, dense moist consistencies.  Each variety was made from organic ingredients like coconut, almond flour, cacao, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon zest, cold-pressed coconut oil, and unfiltered maple syrup.  The raw preparation and the high quality organic ingredients assure the authenticity of product; they taste fresh baked and not raw.  All three of these varieties were delicious!  My Take:  I loved crumbling these and adding them to plain yogurt, or drizzling them with some of my homemade lemon powdered sugar glaze.  For more information, visit http://mycocoroons.com

~ In Closing ~

(Photo by T. Herman)

Explore these tastes and expand your culinary horizons.  Be sure to visit each website, explore all of their offerings and where you can purchase each item; next time you go grocery shopping, explore the aisles for many of these delicious products.  Be sure to also checkout their social media platform, including signing up to receive their emails, newsletters and special offers. 

That’s it for this edition.  Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your culinary curiosity.  Happy creating…happy cooking…happy eating!

By Terry Herman

TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and wine.  She has been covering culinary related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.  Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events such as International Home+Housewares Show, National Restaurant Show, Sweets and Snacks Expo, and Food Marketing Institute.  She has served as a food judge at the Bellavita Italian Expo Excellence Awards (Chicago).  She has been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content.  She has also presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory boards.  She has a background in strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking.  In addition to her blogs, her social media outreach also includes Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, Terry’s Second Helpings.  Please note that the “Comment Section” has been disabled.  For additional information, email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.

ALL MATERIALS COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

(Photo credits as indicated, or as represented by the specific brand.)

SaveSave