COLLEEN LONG wades through the dizzying array of mustards, mayos and tapenades at a specialty food show with an expert -- her mom.
Pick your poison. Water in many flavors. (AP Photo/Bernadette Tuazon)
Herbs and spices from Africa. (AP Photo/Bernadette Tuazon)
The days of regular mayo and pickles are over. The world is now a wonderland of specialty foods.
Roasted whole garlic, fresh green olive tapenades, honey water, graham and sesame crackers, breads, gelatos and cookies come in a million different styles, jars and packages. All for the discerning palate, say the food companies eager to sell their latest idea.
And if it seems hard for the average consumer to pick which of a dozen mustards will make dinner taste just right, imagine how hard the decision is for a specialty food store owner whose livelihood rides on the choices.
It seems impossible for a store owner to decide what to buy, let alone to predict what would actually sell, when considering 15 different types of olive oil that all seem scandalously similar.
Maureen Martinez owns a specialty food store and meat counter outside Chicago. She's also my mom. For more than a decade she's kept the store profitable by sniffing out which niche products will appeal to her customers.
Let's see what we have here. Maureen Martinez checks a counter at the show. (AP Photo/Bernadette Tuazon)
A major way she keeps her shelves stocked is by browsing the more than 100,000 specialty products from around the world that vendors display at Fancy Food Shows. The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade has been hosting the shows for more than 50 years and holds several each year.
Distributors find new products, restaurants get new ideas, companies show off their goods and stores can see the latest food trends.
In general, Mom says, she's looking for a product that isn't too well-known. "I'm looking for something unique," she said. "Which can be a problem, because those products are often hard to get. And then once everyone else catches on, they get easier to buy, but also more common, so I have to look for the next unique thing."
But what catches the eye? For my mom and other shop owners, it's a product with a clean, easy-to-read label ; an interesting take on a traditional idea; or simply products pushed by representatives who are friendly -- but not pushy.
As I wandered down the aisles at a recent food show, the products started to blend together.
I grew weary, like I was in a museum too long, and by the 20th booth I was practically sick to my stomach from tasting so many different things. (The mini-cupcake with cream cheese and coconut icing at the Barefoot Contessa really put me over the edge.)
My mom, ever the cool cucumber, comes to the show with a few clear ideas. This year, she was looking for nitrate-free bacon and ice cream. She was also hunting for a garlic bread for her sister Paula, who owns a company that sells prepared meals in Chicago. Mom spent two days filling her bags with brochures.
It will take weeks to wade through the mess, but almost immediately she found a new barbecue sauce, and a few new salad dressings for her store. No bacon yet.
___
TOO SMALL TO PLAY
"It's hard when you're not a huge business," she said. "Sometimes you feel sidelined, because you just don't have the buying power of the larger stores."
The recognition problem works both ways. She stops at a coffee both where two men from Cameroon, one in a bright tunic, are selling a brand called Ghotam coffee. They are desperate to sell their wares.
"We really want business in the U.S.," Dimande Moussa, trade development manager said. "We think we have something to offer to everyone." They almost have her convinced when they give her a bit of coffee syrup, for use in drinks or on ice cream.
"I have no idea how they will get their products to me, but if they do, I'll sell them," she says to me.
___
Five Products My Mom Says You Should Have In Your House
1) Urban Accents Sonoma Pepper
WHAT IT IS: A blend of herbs, crushed pepper corns and lemon pepper.
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE IT: You can season anything with it -- meat, rice, eggs, you name it.
2) Soy Vey Very Very Teriyaki Sauce
WHAT IT IS: A Teriyaki marinade with sesame seeds, garlic and ginger.
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE IT: It's a stronger flavor than withstands grilling, plus you can use it in other sauces.
3) Nibby Bar
WHAT IT IS: A 4 oz. dark chocolate bar with bits of coffee made by Scharffen Berger.
WHY: It's the perfect size bar, just enough to satisfy the need for chocolate but not too much you feel sick.
4) Brianna's French Vinaigrette.
WHAT IT IS: Salad dressing. Has a big artichoke on the label.
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE IT: Mix it with mustard and make potato salad, throw it on some pasta, put it in a salad when you're too lazy to make your own dressing. This stuff is good.
5) My Brother's Olive Oil
WHAT IT IS: First-pressed, extra virgin olive oil from southern Italy
WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE IT: It's my mom's preferred brand, but any first-pressed extra virgin olive oil will do. You can taste the difference.
___
Colleen Long is an asap reporter in New York. Her mom makes her clean skirt steaks and chicken breasts. | 
