For some reason, I found the most interesting booths and events at this year’s show were those from outside the USA. The World Cup may have had something to do with it, but as this report describes my subjective view of the show, so be it.
In one of the first aisles beyond the entrance, the exhibitors from Japan were offering exotic tastes. The representative from Abukuma Foods had a big hit with pickled baby peaches, eaten whole, pit and all. Sweet-tasting and a beautiful emerald green, craft cocktail makers would love them.
Baby Green Peaches
Further down, the Jabri confection booth had a beautiful display of sweets.
Impressive And Delicious
But Peru lured one in with pisco as well as food. One of many booths to offer continuous and varied tastes of native cuisine, Peru demonstrated the art of cooking with quinoa as well as artichokes (Peru’s biggest produce export – who knew?), olives, and chocolate. And much pisco.
In Peru, One Drinks Pisco
And on the drinks theme, there were impressive, shiny espresso machines,
From Italy, Natch!
Beer and cocktails in Mexico,
Did She Dye Her Hair To Match The Drink?
Lemon-colored limoncello sellers,
Lemon Limon
And a woman in a wonderful sari offering Ceylon tea.
Tea Sari
Morocco and Germany were once again across the aisle from each other. Germany had sausage on offer, but Morocco let out all the hospitality stops with copious food, including a delicious harara soup.
Morocco With Germany In The Background
Sit, Have Some Tea!
In the Italian neighborhood (many aisles of booths), the beautiful red prosciutto slicer was manned by the handsome guy I remembered from last year.
He Can Cut It!
But down the row, there was an even more impressive black job, the “Parma 50.” That’s serious slicing! But then, everyone at the show is serious about food.
This One Means Business
But right off the exhibit hall, there were monitors set up to follow the World Cup, and some folks seemed even more serious about football.
Goooaaal!
Next: Part 2, Events on the Floor and Off the Wall
