Last week the 2026 Summer Fancy Food show in New York City provided a glimpse into food trends and introductions of new food products. A keynote address by chef Marcus Samuelsson capped off the event. Samuelsson emphasized the key role global flavors have had and continue to have in shaping American cuisine. Practically all iconic American foods had their start in another country, and Samuelsson noted that “There’s no limit to what food and flavor can do [when it comes to] bringing people together.”
The biggest trends in the food on display, according to Martha Stewart, included pistachio everywhere, branching out from the now ubiquitous Dubai chocolate combination of pistachio, chocolate, and crunchy kataifi pastry. New product introductions include creamy and crunchy pistachio spreads from upstart company Pistakio and pistachio nut butter-filled chocolate-covered dates from Date Better. Another trend is actually good convenience food from brands like Long Weekend (freeze-dried soups) and precooked legumes from Lentiful.
Tea was another hot product, with plenty of matcha and chai offerings, along with loose tea quality leaves in plant-based bags from Raazi Tea. Beans were perhaps the biggest trend, especially beans replacing other ingredients. With protein maxxing and fiber maxxing everywhere, this should come as no surprise, as beans provide a 1-2 protein-fiber punch. Breakfast bean products include Moonbean Granola and Chichi Protein Hot Cereal, both made with chickpeas, and Full of Beans pancake and waffle mix based on fava beans. The somewhat confusingly-named Kaizen Protein Rice is made from lupini bean flour.
Quirky items included Mr Pickles Dillicious Lemonade were sprinkled throughout the show, which boasted a wide range of foods ranging from artisan granola to fermented hot sauce to gluten-free cookie dough that can be eaten raw or baked.