Truffle Butter from Popzup is capitalizing on the indulgence trend happening in specialty food.
Truffle Indulgence
Among the upscale popcorn toppings being sampled was Truffle Butter from Popzup, riding not only the general indulgence wave noted by Lockwood, but also adding one of the specific “premium finishes” to restaurant dishes noted by Nancy Kruse, president of The Kruse Co., during her “State of the Plate 2024” presentation at the show. Beyond popcorn, the earthy taste of truffles showed up in a variety of products, including cheese, sauces, oils, honey, butter, ice cream, and pasta — including a breaded truffle mac & cheese ball appetizer.
[RELATED: Murray’s Cheese Wins 7 Awards at American Cheese Society Competition]
Bubbling Up
Now, to wash down all of those treats, I could have turned to any number of beverages exhibited at the show, but I opted for boba — or bubble — tea, whose time as an easily available grab-and-go product in the United States, rather than as an occasional restaurant or café offering, seems to have finally arrived. There were numerous examples of this at the show, including New York-based Bubluv, billed as “the first low-sugar, low-calorie, ready-to-drink boba tea,” in Black Milk Tea and Matcha Soy Latte varieties. One way that the brand keeps calories and carbs low is by making its pearls from a blend of tapioca starch and konjac, according to founder and CEO Diana Ark Chen.