California specialty food producers will be front and center at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, with more exhibitors than any other state. Cayenne-infused peanut butter from Los Angeles, wild herb tea and spice blends grown in the San Joaquin Valley, and a Sacramento-based pomegranate-mint beverage will all be on display at the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty food and beverages on the West Coast

The Winter Fancy Food Show takes place January 17-19 at Moscone Center. Now in its 41st year, the show features 15,000 exhibitors from across the U.S. and around the world.

California's contingent includes 30 specialty food producers making their show debut, and hundreds of new products from established and emerging food entrepreneurs. The next largest state showings are from New York, followed by New Jersey, Washington, and Illinois. More than 18,000 buyers from top names in retailing and restaurants are expected to attend the event to discover the products and trends for their menus and stores for the coming year.

"With everything from fermented vegetables to new twists on condiments, our California exhibitors are reinforcing the state's reputation as a leader in food innovation. They are setting the pace for the fast-changing ways in which we produce, sell, and consume food," says Laura Santella-Saccone, chief marketing officer for the Specialty Food Association, owner and producer of the Winter Fancy Food Show.