Drinking your beer is so last year.

Among other specialty foods, beer-laced hors d’oeuvres flooded the “food runway” at the 2013 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, Calif., this past January. More than 1,300 exhibitors representing over 35 countries were in attendance to showcase their best food to buyers. Now in its 38th year, the WFFS is the West Coast’s largest specialty food and beverage event according to the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade.  

More of an extravagant snack party than a convention, the Winter Fancy Food Show is the fashion week of the specialty food industry and sets the trends for the year. So, how’s your food fashion sense? The hottest foods for 2013, along with beer infused tidbits, are coconut, exotic vegetable and fruit oils, herbal flavored drinks and spicy sweets.

Trend: Beer

Many people are unaware of beer’s health boosting antioxidants and disease fighting vitamins. It also doubles as a hair treatment and can reduce the risk of heart disease, a nutritionist told the Huffington Post.

Try this:

With a slightly acidic structure, beer is perfect as a marinade because it tenderizes the meat. A good rule of thumb when selecting the type is that malty beers add a sweet taste while hop lagers can add a bitter flavor.

Trend: Coconut

Coconut made an appearance at the show as an ingredient in snacks and as a hydrating beverage. This tropical fruit is rich in antioxidants and increases the temperature of our metabolic furnace, which, in turn, promotes weight loss, according to U.S. Health News.

Try this:

Add a little coconut oil to a dressing to amp up the flavor of your salad or use it as a marinade for your favorite meat. Coconut oil is also a healthier choice for making popcorn–and a little more gourmet.  

Trend: Vegetable and fruit oils

An array of exotic oils were available at the show. A popular choice for buyers was pumpkin seed oil. Bursting with omega-6s and vitamin E, it can lower blood pressure and improve skin tone, reports Livestrong.com.

Try this:

Pumpkin oil is tasty by itself, but can be drizzled on everything from treats, like vanilla ice cream, to main dishes, like fish or chicken. Also, pumpkin seeds are a yummy snack that offer the same health benefits.

Trend: Herbal flavors

Ordinary mint and chamomile flavored beverages are a thing of the past. New taste combos hydrated the show with flavors like broccoli cilantro, wild poppy, licorice mint almond water and carrot curry.

Try this:

Make a pitcher of water and add your favorite herbal flavor (cucumbers, lemons, oranges, whatever sounds good) and let them soak in the jug for a few hours. Then, pour into a glass over ice and enjoy some herbal infused water.

Trend: Spicy

Last year’s trend of sweet and salty has been replaced with hot and zesty flavors now roaming into the candy aisle. An assortment of candies were exhibited at the show in unexpected flavors like cayenne shortbread, orange cayenne marzipan and chili infused peanut brittle.

Try this:

Want to get your hands on some spicy chocolate? Max’s boutique in Minneapolis offers gourmet chocolate in out of the ordinary flavors including a spicy chili chocolate bar. It’s worth a trip for all you chocoholics.

Nicole Soyka can be reached at soyk9466@stthomas.edu.