The event afforded D.C.-area journalists the chance to learn about North America's largest specialty food trade show, talk to some local sofi™ Silver Award winners, and taste a selection of foods in contention for the sofi™ Gold Awards. The standout specialty foods below were my favorites from the tasting.
1. Blue Crab Bay Co. Sandbaggers Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Peanuts
The warm bite of cracked Tellicherry peppercorns makes an inspired addition to these crunchy, sea salt-dusted Virginia peanuts. Serve them with cocktails, or tote them along for a day at the beach. Buy online at BlueCrabBay.com. Price: $6.50/12 oz.
2. Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream & Desserts Inc. Passion Fruit Mochi Ice Cream
Utterly smooth, intensely creamy passionfruit ice cream is wrapped in soft, chewy mochi. These bonbons may be a splurge (they hail from Hawaii, hence the steep price tag) but they'e are a novel taste experience, and beautiful to boot. Buy online at BubbiesIceCream.com. Price: $55/16 pieces.
3. Lark Fine Foods Salted Rosemary Shortbread
A delightfully grown up cookie, Lark's Rosemary Shortbread strikes a perfect balance between sweet, salty, and herbal notes. As perfect with tea or fruit as with savory cheeses. Buy online at LarkFineFoods.com. Price: $6/6.7 oz.
4. Tate's Bake Shop Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
Made with white whole wheat and deep, rich bittersweet chocolate, these crisp cookies are an exemplary specimen of the classic chocolate chip cookie. Buy online at TatesBakeShop.com. Price: $35/6 8-oz bags.
5. The Sticky Toffee Pudding Company Sticky Toffee Pudding
This Sticky Toffee Pudding won the 2010 sofi™ Gold Award for Outstanding Baked Good, Baking Ingredient or Cereal. A new slate of judges has put it in the running again, this time for Outstanding Perishable Foodservice Product. It's no wonder — these little cakes are are the perfect alchemy of buttery richness and light texture, moistened with a scrumptious toffee sauce. Buy online at StickyToffeePuddingCompany.com. Price: $30/6 individual puddings.
6. Theo Chocolate Ghost Chili Caramels
At the 2011 Winter Fancy Food Show, a panel of food experts noted an emerging "Heat with Flavor" trend; Theo's Chocolate Ghost Chili Caramels illustrate it brilliantly. Infused with Bhut Jolokia, aka "ghost chili," these chewy caramels possess a captivating warmth that blooms on the tongue, but doesn't overwhelm. The depth of dark chocolate and the bright salinity of Hawaiian sea salt provide balance in a confection that literally haunts the senses. Buy online at TheoChocolate.com. Price: $8.80/4-piece box.