Move over, Cronut. Fookie, part fudge, part cookie, may be the next hot dessert hybrid.
The brand debuted at the Winter Fancy Food Show as one of dozens of new exhibitors at the specialty food show, held Jan. 22-24 in San Francisco. A Rocklin, Calif., mom-and-pop shop created the concept to extend demand for fudge year-round. Flavors include chocolate cookie topped with white fudge, peanut butter chocolate cookie topped with peanut butter fudge, chocolate chip cookie topped with chocolate fudge, and more.
More than 33,000 industry professionals gathered to view the latest innovations from established companies and emerging brands alike. Some of the products were featured as part of the New Brands on the Shelf showcase, which this year included 35 participants. Another 16 start-ups were highlighted as part of Incubator Alley as an opportunity to receive feedback from attendees on products in the nascent stages of development.
ReGrained
“Eat beer. Fight food waste” is the tagline for ReGrained, a San Francisco-based brand of snack bars made using spent grains harvested from craft breweries. Varieties include Honey Almond IPA and Chocolate Coffee Stout. The company plans to launch other products using the fiber- and protein-rich brewers’ grains, such as pretzels, Sarah Nathan, vice-president of business development, told Food Business News.
Don Bugito
Described as an “edible insect street food project,” San Francisco-based Don Bugito offers chocolate-covered mealworms and crickets, lime-chile crickets with pumpkin seeds, coconut brittle mealworms and more. A product description for Spicy Bugitos with Cancha Corn reads, “We oven toast our superworms to a pleasing crisp and coat them with a spicy, natural chile flavoring.” The company aims to revive old cultural traditions while increasing insect consumption in the United States.
Mr. E’s Freeze
Frozen bananas are whipped with coconut milk to create a creamy, dairy-free frozen dessert range from Mr. E’s Freeze, Santa Barbara, Calif. Available in pints and single servings, flavors include chocolate, original, strawberry and chai spice.
Tea Drops
Tea Drops, Brisbane, Calif., manufactures a line of bag-less, pressed teas that dissolve in hot water. The certified organic teas are available in a range of flavors, including cardamom spice, citrus ginger, rose Earl Grey, vanilla white tea and sweet peppermint. Currently varieties are lightened with organic raw sugar, but non-sweetened options are launching later this year.
The Konery
Cinnamon brown sugar, toasted coconut and salted blue corn are among the flavors of gourmet waffle cones from The Konery, Brooklyn. The company also offers gluten-free varieties. Colorful, whimsical and flavorful, The Konery cones were created to reinvent the “bland and unchanged” ice cream carrier, according to the company.
