At a ceremony held Monday at the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) 55th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York and hosted by celebrity chef Ming Tsai, the 37th sofi (“specialty outstanding food innovation”) awards were revealed.

The sofi Gold recipients were as follows:

Appetizer, Antipasto, Salsa or Dip: Argo Fine Foods - Tzatziki
Baked Goods, Baking Ingredient or Cereal: Mari’s New York - Caramel Sea Salt Brownie
Cheese or Dairy Product: Cypress Grove - Chevre Truffle Tremor
Chocolate: John Kelly Chocolates Truffle Fudge Bites - Dark Chocolate with French Grey Sea Salt
Classic: Sarabeth’s Kitchen - Blood Orange Marmalade
Cold Beverage: Aliseo Foods - Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice
Condiment: Au Printemps Gourmet/Brickstone Fine Foods - Caramelized Onion and Blood Orange Confit
Confection: Dufflet Caramel Crackle™ - Almond & Pistachio
Cookie: Desserts On Us - Laceys® Dark Chocolate Almond
Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer: Appledore Cove - Seaside Barbecue Sauce
Cracker: 34 Degrees Rosemary Crispbread
Dessert or Dessert Topping: PreGel AMERICA, Inc. - Pink Grapefruit Super Sprint
Diet and Lifestyle Product: Kitchen Table Bakers Aged Parmesan Mini Crisps
Food Gift: O Olive Oil O Balsamic Vinegar Trio
Frozen Savory: Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Foods - Sukhi’s Samosa with Chutney
Hot Beverage: Jayone Foods, Inc. - Yuzu Citrus Tea
Innovation In Packaging Design or Function: Vervacious - Vervacious Collection
Jam, Preserve, Honey or Nut Butter: Magnolia Honey Co. - Raspberry William
Meat, Pâté or Seafood – Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats - Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon
Non-Food Specialty Item: Wildly Delicious Fine Foods - Petite Maisons’ Red Brie Baker
Oil: Tesori of Sicily - Terraliva “Cherubino” Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pasta Sauce: Dave’s Gourmet, Inc. - Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Pasta, Rice or Grain: Bove’s of Vermont - Bove’s Lasagna
Perishable Foodservice Product: Ciao Bella Gelato Co. - Key Lime Graham Cracker Gelato
Pet Product: DOGSWELL VEGGIE LIFE® HAPPY HIPS® - Chicken & Apple
Salad Dressing: Lucini Italia Co. - Delicate Cucumber & Shallot Artisan Vinaigrette
Shelf-Stable Foodservice Product: Sid Wainer & Son Specialty Produce & Specialty Foods - Sakurachi Sa Yuzu Marmalade
Snack Food: Anette’s Chocolate Factory - Triple Nut Kentucky Bourbon Brittle
Soup, Stew Bean or Chili (TIE): Elena’s Mediterranean Stew; San Angel Mole Co. - San Angel Mole Cascabel Sauce
USDA-Approved Organic Product: Organic Nectars Pistachio Gelato
Vinegar: Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods - Ritrovo Selections Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Product Line: DeMedici Imports, Ltd. - A L'Olivier
New Product: New England Herbal Foods' Danielle Fruit Chips - Roasted Coconut

Competition was strong this year, with 1,997 entries across all 33 categories. This spring, a national panel of specialty food experts narrowed the field to 128 Silver finalists during five days of judging at NASFT's offices in New York City. More than 550 buyers at the Summer Fancy Food Show cast ballots to select the Gold winners. The results were tabulated by an outside accounting firm.