Every year since 1955, the Summer Fancy Food Show has rolled into New York during the last week of June. More than 2,000 food producers, from artisanal to ultra-commercial, converge upon the Javits Center to show off their wares, talk shop, and share samples with the food professionals in attendance.

TLK was on the scene this year, scouting out Latin-inspired and sourced products, and testing everything from chips and salsa to chipotle mustard. Here are some of our favorite products spotted (and tasted!) at the show, each of which makes for a great summer snack or condiment. Put them together for an epic Latin-flavored picnic. Here’s what to what to slice up, snack on, and sprinkle on your fave summer dishes.

Savory

RW García Tortato Chips

Marketed as “the first-ever half tortilla chip, half potato chip,” RW García’s “Tortatos” are made with white, non-GMO certified organic stone-ground corn and red potatoes. They’re as thick and crunchy as a regular tortilla chip, perfect for dipping in your homemade salsa or guacamole, but lack the full count of fat grams typical of regular potato chips (25% less, according to the makers).

– excerpted from The Latin Kitchen. Read the full article.

Love snacks? How fun would it be if snacks were your family business? Founded in 1982 and based in San Jose, California by Bob and Margaret Garcia, RW Garcia is a family owned and operated artisan maker of high quality organic and all natural corn-based snacks. New snack inspirations can even come from the youngest generation, as Cameron Chetcuti, grandson of the company founders, suggested an idea that posed an interesting challenge.

– excerpted from Ingredient Magazine.    Read the entire interview here.

Eat This Not That: Summer 2014 Best Newcomers In Chip And Dip Category: Heluva Good! Roasted Garlic & Caramelized Onion Dip and RW Garcia Tortatos

Why we liked it:  This is chip and dip season, parties by the pool, graduation, Fourth of July, and tons of summer soirees and camping outings in general.

The criteria for us are that the retail premade dips and chips have quality ingredients (no GMOs, no excessive sodium, no carrageenan) and reasonable calorie counts.

The two newcomers are from American companies who have great track records in the snack food category and who we always see every year at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim.  The reason these two were selected was that they excelled in taste and met the aforementioned requirements.

– by April Neale for Monsters & Critics

No party is complete without a big bowl of tortilla or potato chips, but some favorites are loaded with fat and calories. Thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives on the market these days, and not only are many full of whole grains, gluten-free, or both, they’re also delicious.

9 Healthy Alternatives to Your Favorite Chips (Slideshow)

Generations of Americans grew up eating chips as a side with sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs. You munched them while Full House played during the (very much missed) TGIF lineup, poured into an oversized bowl for you and your playdate to share. With such a variety of types (crinkle, wavy, ridges) and flavors (salt and vinegar, barbecue, sour cream and onion), it was — and still is — pretty hard to get bored. Add in pretzels, popcorn, cheese doodles, and corn chips, and you’ve pretty much covered all the different kinds of ”unhealthy” snacks you could eat.

– excerpted from The Daily Meal.