Specialty foods are always a delectable topic of conversation! The 2025 Winter Fancy Food Show, that I attended with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, establishes key emerging trends for the specialty food and beverage market each year. I find the trends in the food industry reflect contemporary culture in interesting ways. After all, food is just as “fashionable” as any other consumer product.
Many trends and products launch at these shows only to crash and disappear. Remember clear beer? Everything with oats in it? This year I noticed the influence of technology – and how that has migrated to small companies. Here’s a look at a few trends from the show.
Mango Madness Everywhere
Just like fashion sees a hot color each year, so too, there is a “hot” flavor that emerges at the show. This year, mango reigned supreme. Attendees couldn’t escape the bright, tropical notes of mango, which found its way into everything from cheese to candy.
Specialty Food Association (SFA) Trendspotter Amy Sherman noted some of the most buzzworthy mango-infused products included:
- Paradise Green Mangoodles – A mango “noodle” shaped fruit snack,
- Rondele Mango Habanero Cheese – A sweet-meets-spicy spreadable cheese bringing the heat.
- Lakrids by Bülow Mango Vanilla Chocolate Coated Licorice – A decadent twist on licorice with tropical and creamy layers.
Snacking for Any and Every Snacker
Snacking continues to dominate the food scene. From gourmet popcorn to protein-packed quail eggs, this year’s show proved that snacking is not just about a quick bite. The snack product lineup blended nutrition with crave-worthy flavors, offering something for every kind of snacker.
Wellness is still a focus, according to the Specialty Food Association Trendspotters, be it energy-boosting bites or snacks designed for gut health. Brands are prioritizing ingredients that nourish while satisfying cravings. If you’ve been down the snack aisle recently, you may have noticed the evolution of the munchie. Creativity is driving this category, with unexpected flavors and formats pushing the boundaries.
Here are some standout snack innovations from the show, including some selections from Specialty Food Association Trendspotter panelist Cathy Strange of Whole Foods:
- Oegg Inc. Quail Eggs – A protein-packed, bite-sized snack perfect for on-the-go nutrition.
- Rise and Sun/Eddy’s Premium Matcha Popcorn – A luxurious, antioxidant-rich twist on a classic movie snack.
- Kangkong King Salted Egg Kang Kong Chips – A bold, umami-packed take on vegetable chips.
- Mizunaga Fisheries Marusa Japanese “Shirasu” Oil Sardines – A nutrient-dense seafood snack rich in Omega-3s.
- Side Project Jerky x Kiki Aranita Huli Huli Chicken Jerky – A Hawaiian-inspired take on jerky with savory-sweet flavors.
Crafted with Care (And a Conscience)
This growing trend gets buyers back to authentic and sustainable foods. And buyers want to know how it’s made, what it’s made from, who makes it—every step of the process now garners interest from a discerning consumer. Specialty Food Association Trendspotter Sarah Lohman remarked that consumers value transparency and ethical practices in the brands they support, and brands should be vocal about those practices.
In the case of Wisconsin Cheese Makers, who are some of the best in the world, there is plenty of innovation, which they lean into for marketing. However, their best play at this show is to commit to telling their amazing stories and sharing their generations of old traditions, which are the reasons behind why they produce such incredible products. Simply put: good people, from family-owned companies, making amazing products that are building upon the foundations established by their pioneering ancestors. What was once “old-fashioned” is now the height of style in the world of specialty food trends.
