When summer rolls around, people enjoy barbecues, beaches, and blockbusters; meanwhile, food industry insiders are busy tasting and sipping their way through Javits Center in New York City. For three days, thousands of people from around the world gather at the Specialty Food Association's Summer Fancy Food Show to both exhibit and sample the newest and most delicious products. There are gourmet snacks, exotic fruits, sauces, beverages, pastries, meats, deli items, artisan cheeses, chocolates, craft beverages, and so, so much more.

This year, 2,479 domestic and international specialty food companies came from 59 countries, and six continents. A trade-only event, the Fancy Food Show offers a sneak peek at new products that may not be on store shelves quite yet. A visit to the show is a great opportunity to discover what will be available soon and what's currently in demand. Here are the trends we saw: 

Maple syrup isn't just for pancakes anymore. It's also not just a winter flavor. According to Global Market Insights, the global maple syrup market size was valued at $ 1.7 billion in 2024 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 6.8% from 2025 to 2034.  Oshi Ghee shared their maple ghee, marrying Indian clarified butter with a true North American indigenous ingredient. St. Pierre also blended two cultures with the introduction of maple-flavored Belgian waffles, which were actually made in Belgium. Maple found its way into cheese in Pine River's latest offering, a maple bacon cheese spread. Other notable maple entries included Nana's Special Sauce, a luscious blend of maple syrup, marshmallow, and butter from a genuine grandmother's recipe. Last but not least, a brand-new line of sparkling maple water, Asarasi, which comes in fruit flavors such as lime, lemon, and grapefruit. 

Keto and low carb may not have disappeared, but carbs are back. Today's carbohydrate foods seem to be lighter, healthier, and definitely more craveable. A perfect example of this is Joyffles, a line of no-sugar-added, non-artificially sweetened oat-based ready-to-eat waffles in a variety of flavors. Meanwhile, Melissa's launched Crepe Snax, combining their individual crepes with banana, mango, papaya, and pineapple fillings. Zucker's, a NYC bagel bakery, launched a frozen bagel that rivals their fresh bagels. Kanzen Meal is introducing frozen meals with noodles that are high in protein and fiber, with 27 essential vitamins and minerals. A new entry in the food service industry was piadina bread, made with a combination of rice, soy, and wheat flour. The product's long hydration period makes it easier to digest. 

Some like it hot, and some like it even hotter. But no worries if you're either bored by the hot sauce arms race or just prefer spice to heat. Nicely spiced sauces for cooking made an impressive showing and went beyond the traditional Indian simmer sauces you may have already seen. While the sauces all had spice, some had more of a kick than others, and all reflect heritage and culture. Notable options included Tamarind Head's line of versatile and tangy barbecue sauces,  Y'all Sauces, such as Tennessee Jezebel sauce, a blend of orange marmalade, whole grain mustard, sorghum, and horseradish, and Henry Bain sauce made with a tomato base, mango chutney, red pepper flakes, and bourbon. Saturday Sauce, available in mild and spicy, from Sababa, reflects the flavors of the Middle East, while WIPS, West Indian Peppa Sauce, made with either red or yellow scotch bonnet peppers, is like Caribbean sunshine in a jar. 

Everything spice is so popular as a bagel topping that you'll generally find it as a seasoning in the spice aisle. But if your bottle is languishing, take inspiration from some of the tastiest new everything-spiced foods, starting with Marin French Cheese Company's brand new Everything Breakfast Cheese, an unripe style of fresh brie that was created during the Gold Rush, when eggs were scarce—but only just got a coating of everything spice. Also look out for Z Crackers' new Everything Good breadsticks and Fortune Favors' Everything Candied Pecans, a popular snack and salad topper that chef and company founder Eric Rupert told us has gained popularity over the last 18 months. 

The Dubai chocolate bar went viral on TikTok in December 2023, but it has taken some time for the bar to become more widely available. It's something like a sophisticated Kit Kat bar, with a filling of crispy kataifi and pistachio. It's an expensive treat to make and sell, so at the Fancy Food Show smart confectioners were in full force with more affordable Dubai treats such as bite sized Dubai cones from Leonessa Chocolatier, bon bons from Bolci, mini snack squares from Rolling Pin, and even dates filled with pistachio and enrobed in milk, white, or dark chocolate from Nuts Factory. If you've been wanting to try this luxurious confection, now there are more options available at lower price points, so you won't have to wait much longer.