---

Free tastes of aloha
in Bay City

It is a crazy day for more than a dozen Hawaii food manufacturers at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco running through Tuesday. They are among more than 1,100 vendors showing off 50,000-plus food and beverage items.

It is one of three shows a year staged by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade and it is the one focused on foods from California and the Pacific Rim, according to its Web site, www.specialtyfood.com.

Products representing the 808 state are from Aloha Shoyu Co., First Commercial Kitchens, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., Hawaiian Herbal Blessings, Hawaiian Sun Products Inc., Island Princess, Kauai Coffee Co., Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp., Noh Foods of Hawaii, Planted by the River, Pupukea Gardens, Tedeschi Vineyards and the Tea Chest. Many have links at www.foods ofhawaii.com, the Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association Web site.

A state Department of Agriculture grant helped the association secure a booth, which can cost up to $30,000, said Executive Director Katie Anderson.

Members paid for air fares and hotel, "but because we're sharing the booth and we got a grant from the state, (total costs are) hugely reduced," she said. Larger companies such as Mauna Loa go it alone.

More than 16,000 specialty food-store buyers and industry executives are expected to attend the show, meaning Hawaii exhibitors had to go loaded for bear -- well, prepared for a lot of sampling.

"It's really overwhelming," Anderson said. Exhibitors have to balance the need for sufficient supplies against oversupplying and having to lug it back. The local samples filled a 20-cubic-foot air shipping container.

This will be the only National Specialty Food show the Hawaii association attends this year because it offers better opportunities for local companies than spring and summer shows in Chicago and New York.

Local companies attend mainland and local trade shows because deals can be made. A big draw at the national show is that the buyers represent specialty stores whose customers are willing to pay premium prices.