Delectable delights from Italy abounded at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, which concluded today after a long and scrumptious weekend. The show is a big deal in food circles, occurring annually in San Francisco and New York. Forty thousand attendees bring over 260,000 different kinds of food from over 80 countries. Today at the Moscone Center — a 700,000 square foot exhibition hall in downtown San Francisco named after the lionhearted Italian American Mayor — Italy enjoyed a large piece of real estate right in the middle of the action.

A special thanks goes out to the Italian Trade Commission for their help in giving Italy a great presence at the show and kicking off the 2013 Year of Italian Culture on the right foot!

Aside from fresh meats and vegetables, nearly every munchable offering from the Italian peninsula was on display for the tasting. Wine, cheese, spices, jams, dried herbs, salted fish, cured meats, sauces, oils, vinegars, coffees, pastas, canned tomatoes, grains, beans, gelato, olives, rices, chocolates — hungry yet? Seeing it all together gave a real appreciation for the breadth of Italy's culinary offering to the world. Across the board from sweet to savory, Italy leads the world in quality. This reality was not lost on the guests who circled around the Italian stalls, such as premium salami producer Fiorucci, with a seemingly insatiable appetite.

Who can blame them with a spread like this...

There are several stories to tell from Fancy Foods. For example, we'll meet Mr. Espresso, the Neapolitan creator of one of the most successful coffee brands in the Bay. We'll also take a closer look at what the letters DOP and DOC mean, as well as introduce several intriguing brands of Italian specialties.

Check out some of the pictures below to get an idea of the show. You may find yourself running to your fridge!