Lucire: Wild, Wild (Expo) West

In the second week of March 2022, cheering crowds flocked to Anaheim, California to rediscover “the happiest place on earth” after two years of preemptively sheltering in place. However, if you were a niche salesperson, entrepreneur or lifestyle journalist (or influencer) on the scene, this place was not Disneyland. Even with the continuous hum of the star wars attraction just blocks away, the thrills people were looking for included innovations in artisan foods, pet gear, nutritional supplements, skincare, home accents, clothing and everything which falls into the categories “sustainable”, “organic” and “ethically”. produced or obtained”.

Unlike other post-pandemic scaled-down trade events, samples were handed out and tastes of things served at Expo West as if the pandemic had never happened (except for preparers and servers equipped with masks and gloves) as well as festivities such as free morning yoga classes and an eclectic lineup of concerts in the evening. Think Lollapalooza lite, with free snacks halfway through.

Inside the exhibition halls, everyone is busy bringing natural products of all kinds to market. We’ve seen a few trends that are fading slightly (energy drinks, probiotic snacks, craft beers, organic color cosmetics) based on past shows, but if there was a new angle to the shape (especially with flavors and original aromas), we took notice. After combing through two huge multi-story buildings, here are our top 20 picks for the best in show reflecting what was trending (keto-everything, flavored sparkling water, bamboo, affordability, multitasking things that travel) and what was at its peak (CBD, vegetable meats, snacks), as well as websites to discover for yourself these wonders and their creators and inventors.

1
Mekhala Living Starter Packs
mekhalaliving.com
Co-created by Singapore-based Daphne Hedley and Jang Bauerle, one can enjoy a range of healthy and tasty Pan-Asian dishes. These vegan meals, inspired by those served at Bauerle’s yoga retreat in Chiang Mai, are almost as easy to make as Asian noodle kits, but loaded with clean, nutritious, chemical-free ingredients. Also discover the sauce line.

2
Marco Culinary Ice Cream
marcoicecream.com
While we’ll always enjoy a nice bowl of green tea ice cream, we loved the ‘world cuisine meets ice cream’ concept of tasting your way around the world, one surprising scoop at a time. Flavors include Vanilla Chai, Aztec Chocolate, Moroccan Honey Nut, Turkish Coffee, and Thai Lime.

3
Nice Thai seasoning and sauces
joliethaibrand.com/recipes
What came out of Austin, TX-based chefs Robert and Kristin Strong’s Thai food truck (and Robert’s passion for Thai cuisine, culture, and people) led to national exposure on the Cooking Channel, and more. later, to appearances at farmers markets and foodie events. around the southwest of us. Inevitably, customers asked if their sauces and spices could be bottled and sold for home use, so they took on the challenge of bringing a food truck to the table, with startling results.

4
The farmer
lafermiere.us
French and family business, bringing the delicate and sophisticated flavors (rose, orange blossom honey, squeezed lemon, vanilla pod) and the look (delicious reusable and recyclable jars) of the French countryside to North America. The next best thing to being there.

5
Sanzo sparkling water
drinkanzo.com
There is no shortage of sparkling sparkling waters with fruit aromas. However, we notice when it comes to flavors like lychee, yuzu, and calamansi. Sandro Roco, a Filipino-American born in Queens, managed to come up with a recipe that delivers the essence of the fruit without added sugar or artificial chemicals.

6
Mixly cocktail mixers
mixlycocktailco.com
Cocktail mixers for the era, combining the craft cocktail appeal of inspired fruit and flavor combinations with cleanliness and convenience.

7
Good Devil Desserts
good-devil.com
Positive proof that big, scrumptious flavors in ganache form come in small packages and can be 100% plant-based.

8
Pizootz nuts and trail mixes
www.pizootz.com
Whether you prefer peanuts, almonds, pecans, or pumpkin seeds, what’s refreshing about these snacks is that there’s no dust or messy flavor powder on everything else. . Indispensable for snacking on the go or on the plane.

9
Craize
gocraize.com
Miami-based architect Leo Cotter has crafted and built an inspired collection of cracker and chip hybrids, based on the Arepa of his native Venezuela. Along with being gluten-free, vegan, and kosher, several of the flavors are positively addictive, especially coconut and all.

ten
Dare vegetable chicken
bold.com
The founders’ cause is a noble one: to develop a chicken substitute that makes a statement about the benefits of eating more plants and being aware of the troubling aspects of the animal chicken industry. The effect is that the product tastes and feels like chicken, breaded, grilled, subtle (lemongrass) or spicy (Cajun). See recipes at www.daring.com/recipes.

11
Teas from the tea book
theteabook.com
Founders packaging (featuring historical figures, artists, musicians and other luminaries) caught our attention. What kept him going was the filing cabinet-like device for storing and displaying his tea collection to provide guests or yourself with a cup of flavor and enjoyment.

12
basic coffee
groundworkcoffee.com
One of LA’s favorite boutique coffee brands is about to go big, and from the ground up. From finding sources of ethically sourced organic coffee to helping develop dozens of new organic coffee farms around the world, we anticipate this business to continue to grow.

13
Humble brands
humblebrands.com
These caught our eye a few years ago with their clean, vegan, and deliciously scented deodorants. This year they went one better with a completely plastic-free and biodegradable format in Moroccan rose, mountain lavender, palo santo and frankincense (the bestseller), bergamot and ginger and nostalgic patchouli and copal.

14
Herbology Personal Care Products
herbanology.org
While cbd seems to be everywhere these days, an industrious couple decided to find a way to combine herbal aromatic terpenes and organic soap ingredients to create things in a different way to achieve a natural high. (drug-free) without real THC and CBD. which has caused a sensation in recent years.

15
Dani Naturals Lotions and Candles
daninaturals.com
Two words: Coconut Hibiscus. This truly unique scent is infused into candles, lotions, body scrubs and reed diffusers. Other flavors include fresh versions of the familiar: Grapefruit Ginger, Bamboo Bergamot, Sandalwood Vanilla and Lemongrass Lavender. a natural (drug-free) high with no real THC or CBD that has been causing a stir in recent years.

16
EMU (Everyone Must Use) Hand Sanitizing Mists
sprayemu.com
While many are on the whole hand sanitizer issue at this point, the game changer here is the quick-drying, never sticky, skin-friendly spray formula that also makes everything it touches germ-free and fragrant.

17
Koala Eco Herbal Household Cleaners
www.koalaeco.com
Bringing the aromatics of the outdoors indoors comes naturally to this line, which is safe, natural, plant-based and made in the USA with Australian essential oils. Bonus: the pretty botanical packaging makes the products almost too pretty to hide. Having them visible, in turn, makes you want to clean more often.

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18
body clothes
bodywear.com
The organic bamboo fabrics used to craft this growing collection of underwear and athleisure for women, men and babies are a worthwhile indulgence as they feel absolutely amazing against the skin. However, Boody’s exclusive bamboo fabric makes the whole line a ‘feel-good’ proposition, as bamboo grown for the collection requires far less water than cotton plants.

19
Conscious Step Socks
conscientstep.com
Many companies say they offer something for everyone. This New York-based company delivers, with different sock designs created to showcase and benefit the efforts of more than a dozen beloved charities and causes, including animal rescue, lgbtq communities , environment, wildlife, women and children, literacy and many more. . All these small steps leading to a cleaner supply chain that not only protects the environment, but guarantees fair wages and safe conditions for those who produce them.

20
Instant Vita
instantvita.com
A spoonful of sugar helps the drug go down – that’s the idea behind many gum supplements on the market. However, InstantVita offers a much more direct way – oral sprays – to get the nutrients of your choice or need working without having to be digested, and without the excess sugar, unwanted toxins or other fillers such than yeast and wax. These tiny but powerful pen-sized sprays contain multivitamins formulated for men, women, and children, as well as those that promote immunity, better sleep, bone strength, and energy support.

And a big shout out to Cask & Kettle (caskandkettleusa.com), which we introduced in mid-2021. It’s nice to see founder Lucinda Wright in her element at the show! •

Elyse Glickman is the editor of the West Coast of the United States Lucire.

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