NEW YORK – The Specialty Food Association (SFA) hosted the 67th Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center in New York City June 25-27 with the Kingdom of Morocco as the official partner country, and over 30 countries from around the world, including Greece, showcasing their unique and delicious products.

Once again Greece participated with their high quality products including olives, olive oil, cheeses, herbs, teas, fruits, beans, rice, baked goods, jams, snacks, prepared foods, seafood, and wines drawing great interest from many attendees. Iliada, based in Kalamata, was among the Greek exhibitors at the show with excellent extra virgin olive oil and olives for snacking as well as some delicious olive spreads among their products. The 100% family-owned company was founded in 1964 and continues its tradition of great quality and innovation in the industry.

A special section focused on the wonderful products from the regions of Western Macedonia and Central Macedonia featured Greek brands such as Arosis, Pitenis, MEVGAL, BioAgros organic Greek products, Kalatzis Green Olives, Olea Company with its olives from Halkidiki, and Belas Greek Premium Greek Dairy founded in 1927.

It was at the Belas booth that The National Herald found Chef Maria Loi on the final day of Food Show, June 27. She praised the delicious cheeses that were offered as samples to attendees and congratulated Athanasios Chantes, Belas Operations and Marketing Director, for their efforts, noting that she is always looking to support the great products of Greece even as she has her own line of products available in stores across the U.S. Chef Loi also shared the breaking news that Ryan Seacrest was the new host of the Wheel of Fortune. Having appeared on the morning show Live with Kelly and Ryan several times, she noted that Seacrest is a Philhellene and loves Greek cuisine.

The Loumidis booth also drew a great crowd of enthusiastic foodies who sampled their impressive variety of Greek products. The baked goods and savory pies were especially popular among attendees. As CEO Iason Loumidis told TNH: “We want to be close to the Greek-American community, close to the consumer, to be able to offer them the same range and abundance of products that they were used to, without any reduction in quality and, at the same time, to support the Greek effort that is being made in restaurants in the U.S., because, overall, our cuisine is rising and it is a result of both tourism and the effort that is being made from Greece to the U.S.”

Also participating with their great products were Kontos with its famous pita bread and booth that once again recalled a visit to a Greek village, and Kosterina whose early harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil – made with 100% Koroneiki olives from Southern Greece, and crushed fruit vinegars truly impressed attendees.

Katerina (Katina) Mountanos, the co-founder and CEO of Kosterina, spoke with TNH at the Food Show, noting that “the show has been wonderful, it’s a good opportunity to get a brand that’s focused on the Greek culture and the Mediterranean lifestyle in front of as many people as possible.”

She added that “we’re working to find additional retailers and distribution opportunities to spread the word that we want to bring the best of Greece to the U.S.”

Evagelia Tzekou is in Sales and Marketing for Ootopia olive oil with its olive groves located on hills above the seaside town of Ermioni in the Peloponnese, Greece. According to the Ootopia presentation: “Our olive varieties are Greek, Italian, and Spanish because, in essence, we are not extra virgin olive oil nationalists, but devotees of extra virgin olive oil perfection. By origin, we are part Greek and part Italian… Our vision is to create a premier olive farm that will produce a variety of extra virgin olive oils with distinct organoleptic characteristics.”

Fantis, Optima Foods, and Haitoglou Family Foods were also among the exhibitors featuring Greek products.

The Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest B2B specialty food industry event in North America. Each year, thousands of industry professionals attend the Summer Fancy Food Show for product discovery, trendspotting, networking, and education.

The Fancy Food Shows are owned and operated by the SFA, the leading trade association and information source for the $194 billion specialty food industry. Over the years, the Fancy Food Shows have helped launch thousands of well-known brands, including current consumer favorites Ben & Jerry’s, Honest Tea, Popchips, Stonewall Kitchen, Tate’s Bake Shop, and Vermont Creamery, among many others.

With over 2200 exhibitors, 180,000+ products in 40+ categories including chocolate, cheese, olive oil, baked goods, jams, salsas, plant-based, tea, snacks, and more. The pavilions included Bakery, Confectionery, Snacks and Sweets; Beverage; Deli; and Plant-Based.

Following the conclusion of the Food Show, a special Taste of Tradition – West Macedonia Greece event was held on June 27 at Loi Estiatorio in Manhattan with Chef Maria Loi welcoming some of the Greek exhibitors, including those from the Western Macedonia region and highlighting their products in the flavorful dishes that guests enjoyed. Saffron from Kozani added amazing flavor to savory and sweet dishes at the event as did peaches from Greece. The gigantes, giant beans, were especially delicious as were the dishes featuring other beans and legumes from the region, chick peas with lemon, olive oil and dill, and a tasty lentil salad, all packed with protein and nutrients.

A video with images from the beautiful region inspired many of the non-Greek guests to add Western Macedonia to their itinerary on their next trips to Greece.

Enterprise Greece Executive Director Betty Alexandropoulou was among those present at the event, congratulating all the participants for their efforts.

Also present was American stage, television, and film actress Brenda Vaccaro, who posed for a commemorative photo with Chef Loi at the event.

Everyone looked forward to next year’s Food Show when they can once again highlight the wonderful Greek companies and reach an even wider market for the exceptional products of Greece.