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In spite of a massive peace rally, unseasonably gorgeous weather, and an AFC Championship game being played just across the bay, the aisles were crowded and buyers were focused at the 28th Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Once again, the best of the best from exhibitors from around the world was on display to be seen and tasted by buyers from around the country. For those who missed a trip to Babylon-by-the-Bay, here are some of the new products we saw this year.

Coffee, Tea, and Beverages

Palm Bay Imports introduced a delicious sparkling apple cider from Normandy, a region in northwest France famous for its apples and cheese. Bon Apple Tite is made by Cidreries du Calvados, one of the country's most famous cider producers, from eight different varieties of hand-selected apples.

Move over, there's a new Kona coffee roaster in town -- Hawaii Roasters, which is run by a husband-and-wife team that come from three generations of perfectionists who grow and sell coffee. The only coffee to be grown in the United States, Kona benefits from the big island's climate, as well as the volcanic soil from the world's most active volcano. The coffee is packaged in a distinctive burlap bag with a wrap-around paper label.

Also from Hawaii comes Sweet Mele's Hawaiian Sunset Sippers, marketed in conjunction with Honey Acres. These tropical iced tea-based drinks come in flavors like Guava, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Mango, and Papaya.

GlobeTrends introduced their 1886 line from Taylors of Harrogate. The new line's offerings include three green teas -- Green Tea with Ginger, with Lemongrass, and with Mint; two herbal tisanes, Raspberry and Rosehip and Lemon and Herb; and one decaffeinated Spiced Chai.

Twinings added a tasty new Sunset Rose Herb Tea to their Herbal line that already includes Chamomile, Peppermint, and Lemon & Ginger. The naturally caffeine-free blends are packaged in 20 individually wrapped tea bags to maintain freshness.

Tao of Tea launched a line of Fair Trade teas, starting with two from Darjeeling. The
green Darjeeling is sun dried and includes the fully preserved leaves for a truly delicate flavor. The Darjeeling Muscatel is also Fair Trade certified and has a wonderful aroma, along with the delicate Darjeeling flavor.

Numi's new Bamboo Book is a great new gift idea for someone who enjoys great tea. This exotic portfolio is filled with five bags each of six Numi teas and tisanes. Available in light birch and dark mahogany finishes, the presentation is also perfect for foodservice settings.

The Republic of Tea announced the arrival of their Rose Petal Tea, a Limited Edition Seasonal Tea for spring. The full-leaf tea was unavailable last year, as the crop of roses did not meet the company's high standards. Luckily, this year's crop provided magnificent buds that were handpicked for the blend to which was added the sweet fullness of China black tea leaves. Rose Petal Tea is available in a 2.8-ounce tin with a suggested retail price of $10.

First Colony Coffee & Tea Company presented its new Columbian Collection, which consists of nine select sustainable coffees chosen by the company's partners, Cooperativas de Caficultores de Antioquia, in a new bag. Utilizing Kapak's new package technology named QuadPAK, the standup pouch offers a wider, reclosable opening, in addition to four panels on which the product's graphics are showcased. The eye-catching graphics highlight First Colony's heritage, as well as that of coffee.

Honest Tea introduced the Peach Oo-la-long and Green Dragon Tea to its line of ready-to-drink teas. Peach Oo-la-long is a blend of organic oolong tea with organic peach puree, while the Green Dragon is made from Chinese green tea.

Torani added four new flavors to its sugar-free line of flavoring syrups: Mango, Peach, Coffee, and French Vanilla. Each is made with Splenda brand sweetener and blended to add just the right amount of taste without too much sweetness for use in hot or cold beverages.

A variety of new items were available at Pelican Bay Ltd., including three new holiday favorites in tins -- Eggnog, Hot Chocolate, and Wassail. Other holiday gifts include the Holiday Brew Tote filled with a blend of traditional mulling spices -- cinnamon, nutmeg, orange and lemon peels, and more -- all packaged in a heavy-duty over-sized tea bag with turbinado sugar. Just add cranapple juice to create a perfect holiday drink.

Cranberry & Kiwi is the new 100-percent pure fruit juice blend flavor available from Ceres. The blend contains no sugar or preservatives, and is naturally low in fat.
Among the newest in the coffee alternative market is Rocamojo, a roasted soy coffee alternative. The caffeine-free beverage offers drinkers 13 grams of protein, six grams of fiber, and no cholesterol, fat, sugar, or carbs. For those who still demand a bit of coffee but with a healthier twist, the Rocamojo Blend includes roasted soy and gourmet coffee with less acid.

The Natural Group brings another great-tasting fruit smoothie to the market with the groover line. Available in pineapple + coconut and cranberry + orange varieties, the 100% pure fruit smoothie is delicious straight from the can or mixed with your favorite spirit.

Condiments & Sauces

This year Dave's Gourmet is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To mark the event, the company launched two new scrumptious products at the show -- Wild Mushroom Pasta Sauce and Organic Roasted Garlic & Sweet Basil Pasta Sauce.

Bittersweet Herb Farm has come out with a Smoked Maple Chipotle Finishing Sauce to complement their Wasabi Extra Hot Sauce and Wasabi Ginger Finishing Sauce.

Vita Foods unveiled the new Jim Beam brand at the show that includes 12 marinades and sauces, as well as two new products under the Sopranos label -- an Artie Bucco's Barbecue Sauce and a spicy Fra Divalo Marinara Sauce.

O Olive Oil continues their vinegar line with two new items, a Champagne Citrus Vinegar and a Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar, both delicious and perfectly aged.
Cento Fine Foods, Inc. introduced a new Balsamic Grilling Sauce under their Bellino label, plus announced a complete repackaging of the Ferrara line.

Robert Rothschild Farm launched seven new products at the show. Among them were a Southwest Dip featuring a blend of garlic, onions, and peppers; a Roasted Green Chili Salsa with a blend of roasted poblano, Anaheim, and chili peppers, roasted corn, and black beans; a Raspberry Dressing; a Raspberry Wasabi Dressing; a Ginger Wasabi Sauce; a Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Dip; and a Jamaican Butter Rum Cookie Dip.
Bell Buckle Country Store seized the opportunity to premiere Captain Rodney's Lime-Ginger Pepper Glaze and Mango Pepper Glaze.

Golden West Specialty Foods debuted El Chile Sabroso, a line of three salsas and three hot sauces. The flavors are authentic Mexican and include a Yellow Haba?ero Sauce, and both a Red and a Green Jalape?o Pepper Sauce. The company also introduced California Spirits Pasta Sauce, a line of four all-natural pasta sauces made with wine and a very special tomato that has been lightly processed to retain more of its original juices and flavors.

Salute Sante! introduced two new extra-virgin cold-pressed unfiltered grapeseed oils at the show. The ?Green Gold? is an unfiltered version of their award winning grapeseed oil with a rich, full, nutty and country-butter taste. The Chardonnay Grapeseed Oil made with seeds from France's Languedoc wine region exhibits buttery chardonnay characteristics.

San-J unveiled their new display shipper unit that was developed to merchandise up to 36 bottles of San-J Pepper Sauces. The display is designed to look like a grill and is ideal for displaying their trio of Sweet & Tangy Sauce, Asian BBQ Sauce, and Japanese Steak Sauce.

Hellas has added to their Morea brand a new line -- mezes, which was named after the tapas-like dishes from Greece. The line includes Sun-dried Tomatoes in extra-virgin olive oil, Florini Peppers Stuffed with Feta Cheese, Macedonian Peppers Stuffed with Feta, Feta and Sun-dried Tomatoes in extra-virgin olive oil, and Feta Cheese Cubes in extra-virgin olive oil. They have also launched Chef's Pantry, a line of everyday staples that includes extra-virgin olive oil, vinegars, olive pate, olives, and capers.

Ashman Manufacturing introduced a new line of Seafood Dry Blends. Bombay Seafood Blast, Scandinavian Salmon Rub, Smoky BBQ Fish Rub, Spanish Fish Rub, Tuscan Seafood Sprinkle, Yin Yang Seafood Sprinkle, and Bayou Blackening Spice will enliven any fish bake.

Xcell touted a brand-new Quick No-Bake Cheesecake Tart Kit complete with a cheesecake mix. Also new was their Cookout Seasonings Collection of grinders with the following flavors: Barbecue Grill, Southwest, Mixed Grill, Hickory Grill, Mesquite Grill, and Smoky Chipotle.

Loadstar Farms proudly displayed their Extra Virgin Olive Oil pressed from Mission olives, California's traditional olive. The company also launched a new Lodestar Lemon Olive Oil at the show that is a combination of late-harvested Mission olives and citrus from a blend of Meyer and Eureka lemons.

The Jimtown Store in northern California's Alexander Valley has added another inspired item to their list -- an Artichoke, Olive, and Caper Melange, perfect for either a dip or to toss with pasta for a simple and delicious meal.

Cuisine Perel has been busy under their new ownership, redesigning the labels and adding a new line of pestos. Balsamic and Sun-dried Tomato, Sweet Basil and Pinon, Kalamata Olive, and Artichoke pestos are intended for pasta but are equally good on crackers as a party dip.

Kusha, Inc. showcased GrapeOla oil extracted accordingly from grapeseeds. Since it retains the original flavor of foods and delivers no aftertaste, this all-natural oil is ideal for cooking, frying, baking, and salad dressing.

Char Crust introduced a handy one-ounce Convenient pouch for three of their best-selling Dry-Rub Seasonings -- Original Hickory Grilled, Roasted Garlic Peppercorn, and Smoky Spicy Southwest. The small size and low price point make them a great impulse item.

Haus Barhyte presented a collection of licensed mustards infused with some of the most favorite and well-known liquors. Included in the line is the Mumm Champagne Infused, Lemon Drop Martini with Stoli Vodka, Beefeater Gin Soaked Olive, and Sauza Tequila Margarita.

Deli

Lactalis USA hosted a cheese tasting of their entire line of award-winning cheeses, including their newest foil-wrapped President Brie that is covered with the distinctive white mold on all sides. The wheels are cut before they are sprayed with the mold, resulting in a unique Brie innovation.

Gourmet America announced their new fresh olives program under the Arnaud and Byzantine labels. Byzantine's plump naturally cured Ionian green olives are flavored with a delicate citrus brine and stuffed with a choice of apricot, sun-dried tomato, garlic cloves, Kalamata olive, or citrus peel. The fresh olives in chilled pails from Arnaud include Picholine Olives and Appetizer Olives in three varieties -- Green with Spring Vegetables, Green with Escabeche, and Tournates with Lemon.

SFI/Anco Fine Cheese had three new artisanal cheeses on display -- St. Pete's Select Blue cheese from Faribault, Minn.; an aged Gouda called Saenkanter; and a Tomme de Chevre called Le Pallet du Roy that is made by the founder of Bongrain Group.
Les Trois Petits Cochons has added new smaller sizes to their line of Eggplant with Goat Cheese Terrine (6.5 ounce) and Mousse du Perigord (8 ounce).

Three Rivers Lox is a new company that offers Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon that is cold-smoked by a hand process, is certified kosher, and lacks nitrates or preservatives. Its rich flavor and dark-red color are signs of the wild salmon.

Silva Sausage of San Jose, Calif., debuted their sausage rounds at the show, an addition to their line of sausage links. Called Silva Sausage Sizzlers, they are fully cooked, making them quite convenient.

Best Cheese Corporation was packing in the buyers to savor their UnieKaas Amsterdam Reserve, an authentic, naturally aged Dutch Gouda. Aged for at least 18 months, the cheese has a unique smooth and spicy flavor profile.

Baked Goods & Mixes

Salem Baking was showing off their new expansive booth simultaneously with their new octagonal-shaped tins that are easy to merchandise either stacked or standing on edge.
Brent & Sam's Cookies presented a new 9-ounce snack pack of its popular chocolate chip cookies. Made with the finest ingredients, these all-natural cookies are perfect for packing in a lunch or for snacking on at any time.

Zazi Baking Company Inc. now offers Mrs. Little's Cookie Brittle in a new single-serve pack holding two cookies. Available in Sweet Ginger, Butter Rich, and Chocolate Dream flavors, the delightfully crisp, brittle-like cookie has a wonderful buttery taste. The suggested retail price is $2.15.

Caffe D'Amore used the show venue to launch its Ivy Cottage Scone Mix line in eye-catching packaging. The variety of flavors includes Original, Currant, Cinnamon Oatmeal, Cranberry Orange, Ginger Orange, and Chocolate Chip. The 15-ounce mixes makes scone preparation almost as easy and exciting as eating them.

Business was booming at the Venus Wafers booth as the company introduced their Platinum Edition Dessert Cakes. These premium fruitcakes are prepackaged in display shippers that feature 24 items each, or are available in 24-ounce tins. Also new under the Platinum Edition line was a Golden Amaretto Cake. Under the Stoned Wheat segment of their Haute Cuisine line of crackers, they debuted a Roasted Garlic with Sundried Tomatoes cracker and a Grilled Onion with Poppyseed cracker.

Sticky Fingers Bakeries proudly released their Lemon Ginger English Scone Mix. The mouthwatering blend of lemon peppered with the exotic flavor and fragrance of fresh ginger is available in a 15-ounce bag. Just add water, stir, and bake.

J&M Foods was receiving loads of attention from buyers eager to taste their line of award-winning Cheese Straws in flavors ranging from Cheddar to Bleu to Asiago to Jalape?o to Swiss Cheese.

Enjoy the best ice cream this season with the selection of Genuine Danish Waffle Cones from Chicago Importing Co. The original Danish waffle cones from the Frima Vafler Co. are served at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. The crispy, baked, and butter-inclusive cones are available in three sizes for enjoyment of one to four scoops of ice cream. Exotic rice importer Lotus Foods introduced their new Cassava Sesame Crisps, a traditional snack of the people of northern Laos. Although they are traditionally made sweet with natural cane sugar, Lotus is also making them in semi-savory and savory versions that are perfect for cheese, pate, or other soft spreads.

Dare Foods announced its partnership with lifestyle guru, author, and hostess of HGTV's ?Surprise Gardener,? Susie Coelho, who was drawing a crowd to their booth. Coelho will promote recipes she has created exclusively for Dare Foods and will serve as executive judge for the company's 15 Minutes to Fame recipe contest this year.

New to the Winter Show, Bountiful Pantry showcased some of their new products, including mixes for Lemon Shortbread Twists, Cranberry Orange Cookies, and a 3 Cheese Biscuits. They also featured a line of Cranberry Harvest soup & salad mixes with cranberries, wild rice, and couscous. Their New Liberty Collection also offers a lovely line of soup & salad mixes that cook up in 15 to 45 minutes, as well as tea, coffee, cocoa, and breakfast & dessert mixes.

YZ Enterprises introduced a new countertop display unit for its Almondina Chocolate Crunch -- crunchy bits of Almondina Biscuits embedded in dark or milk chocolate. The new display contains 48 of the .5-ounce bar-coded chocolate squares, which are individually wrapped in gold foil.

Power-Selles Imports offered an excellent Fig Bread from Extremadura in Spain under their Matiz label. The fig bread doesn't have any anise flavoring, unlike most of the fig breads on the market, making it unique as it allows the fig flavor to shine through. Also in this line are Hazelnut and Almond Pralines, both from Andalucia in the south of Spain.

Timber Crest Farms now has 100-percent organic dried strawberries, which were sampled out in little muffins. The strawberry flavor remains intact through the drying process.

Private Harvest showcased a collection of Bruscetta to complement their line of dips, bread toppers, sauces, marinades, and more. The collection includes Parmesan & Garlic, Spicy Italian Cheese, Asiago Cheese, and White Cheddar. The new line is packaged in clear 3.5-ounce bags with the elegant Private Harvest label.

Confections

Long Grove Confectionery presented a host of chocolate novelties for Valentine's Day and Easter, but their big news was their new organic certification on many of their signature products. They have also made news by expanding their facility by 60,000 square feet (to a total of 85,000), which enabled them to put everything under one roof, including a full tour facility with videos and sampling.

Honey Acres debuted a new product for the health and sports market called Hi-Honey. The high-performance, great-tasting gel offers quick energy and rapid glucose recovery, and lacks additives.

Seattle Chocolates has new flavors, new packaging, new bags for self-buys, and a new CEO. All of this adds up to the company becoming a major contender in the national chocolate business. They sampled their new Peanut Butter Truffle and octagonal bulk bins that hold 10 pounds of chocolate truffles for counter displays.

Moonstruck Chocolate introduced beautifully packaged tins of Mexican Hot Cocoa Mix and American Hot Cocoa, all made from their exquisite chocolate.

Gimbal's showed off their new 10-ounce bagged candies in eight new flavors, including Chocolate Fudge, Cinnamon Hot Lips, and Cream Pups. They also debuted several new flavors of sugar-free candies.

The Guittard Chocolate Company has made its premium E. Guittard Vintage Collection available for home cooks. The offerings include a 64-percent dark L'Harmonie blend and a 38-percent milk chocolate Soleil d'Or. The one-kilogram (2.2-pound) bars are available at retail stores nationwide, online, and through direct sales from The Guittard Chocolate Company for a suggested retail price of $19.99. L'Harmonie is made from criollo and trinitario beans and is characterized by light floral aromas, raisin top notes, and a deep chocolate finish. Soleil d'Or offers a bold, rich milk chocolate flavor with a caramel accent, fresh dairy notes, and a hint of cinnamon.

Marich Confectionery presented Scookies, or chocolates with little cookies embedded inside. Flavors include Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, and Double Dark Chocolate. They also introduced Chocolate Covered Raspberries and Chocolate Covered Blackberries that were delicious and decadent, to say the least.

Harry & David captured the flavor of fruit cobbler in its new Royal Apple Cobbler and Royal Cherry Cobbler confections available in 8-ounce tie-top gift bags. Additionally, they incorporated the favorite taste of the Moose Munch confection in a bar. The Moose Munch Bar is available in 2-ounce milk or dark chocolate bars, each with the delicious truffle filling.

Butterfields introduced two new flavors in their popular Buds hard candy line. The first is Grape Buds with a refreshing kiss of vine-ripened purple grapes, and the second is Grapefruit Buds with the zesty taste of pink grapefruit. Both are available in three- and nine-ounce sizes.

Cape Cod Provisions was sampling their Harvest Sweets line to great success. The decadent combination of red tart cherries, dried blueberries, and dried sweetened orange peel coated with premium milk chocolate are packaged in attractive five-ounce taper-top window boxes. A wooden display box that holds 36 boxes is also available.

Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel showed off their new elegant packaging on both their gift and bagged lines. All gifts will be in bar-coded designer gift boxes with ribbon and a product features tag, while bagged products will be in a new designer window bag. Also new was their retail floor display unit that comes free with any purchase of $1,000 worth of Buddy Squirrel gift and bagged products.

Fudge Fatale showed off their ?Ultimate Chocolate Sauce,? which is carefully produced in small batches with all-natural ingredients. It serves as a perfect topping for ice cream, strawberries, crepes, or as a fondue, or straight out of the jar.

Ricola, the Swiss manufacturer, has added some exciting new flavors -- Elderberry with Vitamin C and Orange Mint with Vitamin C. And if you haven't yet tried their Echinacea with Green Tea, you're in for a treat.

Miscellaneous

Harold Import presented the Roul'Pat by Silpat, a larger version of the popular nonstick mat. Measuring 241/2 by 161/2 inches to create a large nonstick countertop workstation, the Roul'Pat is coated on the bottom to prevent the pat from sliding on the countertop, thereby offering the user a big surface for doing a variety of kitchen tasks, including making candies.

Pacific Merchants Trading Company, Inc. showcased new Anne Davis Beverage Napkins. These whimsical napkins star a cute little black-and-white cat or dog in various party scenes. Also available are four new Julia Junkin Beverage Napkin designs that showcase olive oils, grapes, and wine.

Recharge your battery with Cold Fusion's new Chocolate Fantasy frozen chocolate protein bar. The all-natural bar contains 10?11 grams of protein and offers 100-percent RDA of antioxidants A, C, E, biotin, and selenium. Also available in the line is Berry Blast, Orange Passion, and Key Lime.

Holiday was the theme of several new introductions from U.S. Can Company. Among the new designs is the Tis the Season Wreath, with a gold background and elegant old-fashioned wreath on the tin cover. Also new to the collection is the Cool in Calico snowman design, Sprigs and Berries, and Holiday Mantle, which showcases two stockings hanging from a decorated mantle.

Annie Chun's meal kits make Asian cooking easy, fun, and delicious. New to the expanding line are Pad Thai Rice Noodles with Classic Pad Thai Sauce and Chow Mein Noodles with Peanut Sesame Sauce. These versatile favorites are available for a suggested retail price of $2.99.

Picnic at Ascot makes enjoying wine and cheese better than before. The Deluxe Wine and Cheese Cooler now includes a detachable wine pouch and more room than ever to pack a cooler full of fresh fruits and cheeses. Made of high-quality canvas, the cooler features the Thermal Shield Insulation System.