Fancy Food: Southeast Asian Flavor; Clean Label Snack Innovation

The final Winter Fancy Food Show kicked off at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Sunday and while the atmosphere on the show floor was slow to start, exhibitors showed off a taste of what’s next in global flavors, better-for-you snacking and more. Here’s our first round of notes from the show:

Flavor Passage to Southeast Asia

Fancy Food Shows of the past have always brought a range of global flavors to the table – with Korean cuisine a highlight in 2024 – but this year Southeast Asian flavors stole the stage with a variety of snacks, sauces and other products inspired by Pakistani and Indian cuisine.

Sach Foods debuted two new paneer-based dips and spreads in Mint Cilantro and Turmeric Lemon-Zest flavors. A spokesperson for the brand said the format is simply another way the company, which introduced meal kits last year and sells a range of organic paneers at Whole Foods stores nationwide, to introduce U.S. consumers to more Indian flavors while likening the product’s use occasion to pimento cheese dip.

Restaurant-backed retail CPG brand Masala Pizza showed off its upcoming Indian-inspired frozen pizza line designed and inspired by menu offerings from its original three locations spanning San Jose, Calif, Hoboken, N.J. and Chicago, Ill. The pizzas come in Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka and Paneer Tikka varieties. The company has been working to grow awareness around the unique combination on social media and a spokesperson said it soon was getting requests to ship the pizzas to consumers across the country, which inspired the foray into CPG.

Indian-inspired “Dips for Dinner” producer Niramaya Foods previewed its first expansion into a new category with a 7-SKU range of naan pretzels seasoned with Indian spices. The products are set to debut at Sprouts and were designed to compliment the brand’s flagship line of authentic dips. The pretzels come in flavors such as Himalayan Pink Salt and Sweet Jalebi which range in spice level and are gluten-free, dairy-free and top nine allergen-free.

Peepal People introduced seasoning mixes modeled after the flavors of traditional Pakistani street foods such as Golden Daal and Tomato Karahi. The line is intended to help consumers create simple, spice and flavor-packed meals and give consumers a new way to experience the brand’s flavors and engage with its hot sauce line. The products are packed in 4-counts boxes with each sachet able to flavor a 3 to 4 serving dish.

Elsewhere, Paul John Indian Coffee Company showed off premium coffee blends that feature beans sourced from South India. Additionally, Tasting India sampled a Bombay Chili Crunch that combines shallots, crunchy garlic, curry leaves and red chilies.

Snacks Made Simple

Caulipuffs parent company FamBam Foods has expanded with a new line one year since its initial debut. Caulitos, a line of puffed tortilla-like chips made from rice, lentils and cauliflower were on display at the show with founder Joey Rosa noting this is simply the first expansion for the clean label, seed oil free snack platform. The products launched in a Sea Salt as well as a Dairy-free Nacho variety.

Rosa noted that the brand has been building primarily on Amazon and TikTok in its 13 months on the market. It has locked in partnerships with The Fresh Market and regional retailers like Hyvee in addition to an array of specialty and independents. The brand is expanding with additional retailers and into a non-traditional channel later this year.

Las Vegas-based Stellar Snacks showed off its newly launched line of pretzel thins as well as a sweet line of pretzels as it works to compete with Dots’ “indulgent” varieties, a spokesperson for the brand said. The sweet line comes in Caramel Macchiato, Creme Brulee and Cinnamon Dolce flavors while the Thins are available in Bruschetta, Truffle Pesto and Sea Salt varieties.

The grain-free thins are baked with Avocado Oil and made with a base of cassava, chickpea and chia as well as hemp protein. The company, which began an East Coast expansion by breaking groun on a second production facility in Louisville, Ky., in 2023, believes that the plant will be fully operational by next month. A spokesperson noted that the brand is undergoing a period of rapid growth, thanks in part to an airline partnership with Southwest.

Organic Mexican Alegria snack producer Paktli shifted formats from its original puck-shaped product to debut snack bites at the show. The product, made from ancient grains including amaranth, quinoa and millet, come in White Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate with blueberries and Cacao nibs as well as an Extra Dark Chocolate with Dried Cranberries and Cashew varieties. The shape shift is intended to help make the product more accessible to U.S. consumers.

Next in Plant-based

Rind by Dina & Joshua added a new aged Alpine Svviss cheese variety to its lineup of vegan spreads, blocks and slices. The product seeks to replicate the taste profile of a true swiss cheese, said marketing and sales director Greg Langel, and is made with a combination of cashews and coconut oil. The product will retail for between $7 to $9.

Canadian startup Vinker showed off its line of Korean Crispy Chick’n products and boasted about the brand’s clean ingredient deck. The frozen, non-GMO, soy-based nugget products come with a sauce for flavoring and are also available in a gluten-free variety. The company has been steadily growing in Canada for the past year and is now working to expand into U.S. retail and foodservice.