It looks like chocolate, and it tastes like chocolate, only it’s better. This candy bar is made from a nutrient-dense Brazilian fruit called Cupuaçu, which behaves a lot like cocoa beans only it’s much more sustainable, doesn’t have caffeine and tastes like chocolate’s multidimensional cousin. Until now, Cupuaçu has only been used in beauty products, but one of the founders discovered it could be blended with cocoa butter and dates (a trending refined sugar replacement many other Fancy Food Show products leaned on) to make a candy bar. Because the bar contains just three ingredients (plus toppings; there are three flavors), it’s gluten-free and vegan, but about twice as creamy as any of the vegan chocolates I’ve tried. In fact, the bar melts on your tongue exactly like a square of high-quality milk chocolate. Although Figa Foods launched a few months ago, we expect to see it take off big time.

Gamsa Foods launched in spring 2025 to fill a gap in the market: fast, savory, shelf-stable breakfast. Think: the kind of thing you can keep in your desk or bag for crunched mornings. The options that previously existed — from cereal to snack bars to fruit-laden instant oatmeal — tended to skew sweet. Enter instant oat, quinoa and rice sesame garlic instant oatmeal packets. They’re inspired by juk, Korean rice porridge that typically takes hours to make. Ingredients like tamari powder, black pepper, furikake and scallions make mouthfuls just as satisfying as a plate of eggs and breakfast sausage. The Korean-American founder mentioned that future offerings may include oatmeal cups and a low-sodium option. Another company with which I met, Absurd Snacks, sells family- and single serving- size packs of chickpea granola. Keep your eyes peeled for more instant savory breakfast options coming to market.

Here, a joyful little treat pick: pistachio spread in a giftable jar that eats a bit like the filling of a Dubai chocolate bar (but nutty and balanced and not sickeningly sweet). You can dream up different ways to use it, or you can just admit that you’ll probably eat it in spoonfuls from the jar. It’s available in a creamy option too, which would be great to use in recipes that call for pistachio cream like Food Network’s Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies or Pistachio Tiramisu.

Branded "the caviar of mustards," Pop is made from whole plump mustards seeds that, as the moniker implies, pleasantly explode as you chew them. But at just $7 for a 6-oz bottle, Pop is a whole lot more affordable than caviar. The company is a collaboration between an award-winning mustard creator and Food Network’s own Chef Michael Symon (which I didn't even know when I taste tested). My favorite flavor, the smoked flavor — achieved by smoking the mustard seeds — was surprisingly complex and delightful. While you can use all three flavors like regular mustard, the brand also suggests enjoying it like you would caviar: atop deviled eggs, potato chips or toasts — or even in little "caviar" bumps. Together with another product I scouted at the show, Zeroe plant-based caviar made from seaweed ($42 for 50g), I see a caviar ripple effect happening. People love the little luxury of enjoying caviar at home, including the sexy presentation and mouthfeel, but want it sans the high price tag and perhaps the actual fish.

By all accounts, Loopini pizza has the bite and flavor of a great, restaurant-quality thin crust pie. In fact, one of its Italian co-founders is a Pizza World Champion. What is surprising: a single Italian-made Loopini frozen pizza is packed with 50g of protein and 20g of fiber (that’s high) thanks to proprietary lupini bean flour. They also are naturally low in carbs and have a low glycemic index. All these qualities make the pizza friendly to GLP-1 weight loss drug users. And unlike chickpeas, lupini beans have an undetectable flavor. Historically, lupini beans have been canned or enjoyed as a snack during aperitivo hour. But I also saw lupini beans used in Muix Snack Mix at the Fancy Food Show and discovered an Italian-based company online, Brami, selling high-protein lupini bean pastas. It seems the lupini bean is poised to make a big entrance into the U.S. market.

"When you visit an Indian home for the first time, the host will offer you chai and snacks. At Doosra we offer a modern take on the snacks we're so used to enjoying," the snack’s website explains. The crunchy, craveable snacks are not here to solve your problems — unlike many of the other functional products at the show. The mixes combine salty and sweet elements like roasted walnut bits, dark chocolate and crispy spiced chickpea puffs (covered in dried mango powder, black salt, Kashmiri chili powder, roasted cumin, roasted coriander and asafoetida). Another flavor combines peanuts and white chocolate. The brand is partnering with scoop shops where it’s used as a topping and may foray into hospitality as a bar snack. If I was served a little bowl of Doosra alongside my cocktail, I would make it a point to become a regular. Until then, I’ll have to make do with some in my own kitchen.

Zahav, a legendary award-winning Philly-based restaurant from chef Michael Solomonov, is perhaps most famous for its creamy hummus. People in the food world frequently reference Solomonov’s unique hummus making technique, which calls for extra tehina and no olive oil. I have made the hummus many times, and while it’s not hard, it’s not not hard, and I often end up with sub-par premade hummus instead. I was astounded to learn that, as of this year, Zahav’s hummus is available countrywide in Whole Foods, Target and other retailers. The packaged stuff is made true to Solomonov’s recipe and has none of the acidic tang you might normally find in packaged hummus.

"Probably my favorite product of the day," said Food Network editor Sabrina Choudhary. No-ABV, ready-to-drink canned bevvies abounded at the Fancy Food Show. Everyone claimed their drink wasn’t sweet; clearly, people don’t want sweet drinks. For some, that claim simply wasn’t true: they swapped sugar for booze. But For Bitter For Worse makes the type of balanced, refreshing, chic no-ABV drink that transports you to an expensive cocktail bar. Their elixirs are made with fruits and botanicals; their Eva’s Spritz variety, for example, is made with rhubarb, orange peel, hibiscus, dandelion root and other botanicals. If you’re more of a wine bottle person, they come in that format too.

This Peruvian hot sauce company uses a traditional Andean method of grinding peppers into a creamy paste. "They use a few different chiles native to Peru and their hot sauces are creamy, fruity and a little chunky which I think U.S. consumers would like," Choudhary says. It seems like regionality in food products is on the rise, much as it is in dining, with, for example, NYC-based South Indian restaurant Semma winning a Michelin star and New York Times’ best restaurant of 2025.

People are interested in beef tallow right now, with some touting the high-smoke-point animal fat as a less-refined alternative to seed oils. Typically, potato chips are fried in seed oils, but Beefy’s Own swaps in beef tallow, making for a robust, savory, satisfying chip experience. The Sour Cream & Onion flavor was such an umami-bomb it felt practically illegal to eat. Another company at the show, Butcher Ben’s, sold jarred beef tallow for cooking. While it’s important to note that beef tallow is high in saturated fat as well as expensive, it makes for a delightful culinary experience every now and again. Check with your local butcher if they sell it.