Fancy Food Show Brings Colonial Fruit Drinks and Our Old Friend Kulfi
We took a break from our regularly scheduled Greenmarket food fest to hike through acres of fancy foods from the world over at last week’s Fancy Food Show. Over 2,000 displays filled the Javits Center with everything from antifreeze-green Chilean avocado oil to Brooklyn-made gummy bears that were actually the size of honey bears. To avoid going into fancy-food shock, we honed in on the (often overlapping) new and organic/natural categories. Here’s highlights, all currently available in the city.
At the Market
For Chef-Worthy Ingredients, Head to the Source
Chefs are always going on about the importance of raw ingredients. Get in on the action by shopping at restaurants with gourmet markets attached.
Spring Forward With Daffodils, Branch Out with Different BananasNow that we’ve set the clocks ahead, our minds turn to tender dandelion greens and slender ramps, but until the local growing season gets under way, we’ll have to bide time with forced bulbs and unusual bananas.
At the Market
Cute! Kiwiberries and Other Fresh ‘Babies’
In a culture that prizes youth, it’s no surprise that we’ll pay twice as much for a half-size fruit or vegetable if it’s called a “baby.” But are those Lilliputian Brussels sprouts and their ilk actually young? And do they have a special taste?
Chicken Soup for the House-Bound SoulRight now there are two kinds of New Yorkers: those with a cold, flu, cough, sniffle, ache, or fever, and those trying to ward off everyone else’s germs. Our advice: Stay close to home, and let the chicken soup and orange juice come to you.
At the Market
Red Rice, Pink Beer; Ruby Grapefruits to Share, Cure ColdsWhen it comes to Valentine’s Day, lovers cannot live on chocolate alone — there’s also the obligatory pink-food category! Unlike conversation hearts and wax lips, the following rose-hued delectables are all delicious enough to seek out more than once a year.
At the Market
The Australians Are Coming; Minneolas Hit Maximum Flavor
At Taste of Australia, a recent tradeshow held downtown, tanned Aussies showcased products including excellent olive oils and novelties like bush-cherry salsa — and served as a reminder that there is sun somewhere.
What to Look For
Mild, buttery, and stable enough to withstand frying, pale gold cold-pressed Australian macadamia-nut oil seems ready for its moment in the gourmet sun ($9.99 per 8.5-ounce bottle at Whole Foods).
Big California Freeze Means Shoppers Will Have to Think CreativelyAs a result of temperatures that plummeted below freezing across California last week, citrus prices will skyrocket and there will be fewer strawberries and greens. We recommend that you visit ethnic markets for unusual treats and look out for local produce, which has benefited from the mild weather we’ve experienced. There’s also an abundance of tropical fruits.
At the Market
Sour Cherry Stomp Is An Uncut Jolt to the Brain
Fresh on gourmet shelves: Cara Cara navel oranges at their peak, mahogany-colored rice from the Camargue, and Crimson grapes from Chile.
What to Look For
Cara cara navel oranges are orange outside, pink in. They’re reaching their peak now, boasting sweet juice that has hints of raspberries and strawberries (widely available — look for the blue Cecelia packing sticker and choose fruit that feel heavy).
Among the most delectable of the many red rices proliferating on market shelves: mahogany-colored rice from the French Camargue, with a jasmine fragrance, caviar-like pop, and savory, buttery flavor; and wine-black Colusari rice from India, which is chewy and fruity with a whiff of cardamom (Colusari rice is $4.99 per pound and Camarguese rice is $6.99 per pound, both at Kalustyan’s).
Tasmanian Christmas Honey Arrives, Old-Fashioned Bonbons Stage a ComebackFor eleventh-hour holiday shoppers, gourmet markets, with their late hours and wide variety, are a godsend. Bundle imported fancy foods — from French pear cider to Spanish Marcona almonds — with cheeses, exotic fruits, and artisanal baked goods for a gift that needs no apology.
At the Market
Pomegranates Hit Their Stride, Longans Hit the Streets
As the holidays get under way, rich, warming foods are of course de rigueur, as is their refreshing counterpoint: imported sunshine in the form of citrus and tropical fruit.
At the Market
Pumpkin Gnocchi and Persimmons Herald Another Season of Great EatingIt’s time for cherry-picking in Chile, chestnut-roasting in Italy, and — what else? — specialty-food-hunting in New York. Welcome to the first installment of the new weekly column “At the Market,” where we scour gourmet stores for the seasonal, exotic, and obscure ingredients of the moment.
