The Roving Feast

When the Fancy Food Show -- a trade-only marketplace, sponsored by the National Association of Specialty Food Trade -- whirls into San Francisco every January, the excitement is, for many of us, akin to a foodie circus, with truffles instead of elephants, artisanal cheeses instead of tightrope walkers.

Despite the fairlike atmosphere, it is a world marketplace for artisanal, foreign, hard-to-find and well-crafted products, a sneak preview of what will appear in shops in the not-too-distant future. After a trawl through the show, you can usually predict what will be the culinary buzz in the year to come.

* * *

At the Fancy Food Show, you have to pace yourself. Know when to stop, and eliminate things you wouldn't otherwise touch. Don't waste precious appetite on yet another packaged dehydrated dip, mix or hyped snack food.

Bit by the chocolate bug, I moseyed over to the Savor California booth and spooned up a dark chocolate sauce from Fudge Is My Life. It was so delicious, dark and strong that I decided I couldn't live a moment longer without it and left with not only a jar, but with a spoon, too, in case I needed to replenish myself on the way home.

* * *

Also, Savor California holds product tastings at various locations; check savorcalifornia.com for schedule.

Follow us on