What’s the next big thing in Fresno-area food? Here are 6 local food makers to check out now
This Valley makes good food.
From taco truck cooks to peach growers to the big beer brewers that Fresno is known for, locals are making some yummy stuff in Fresno and nearby communities.
But did you also know we have lots of up-and-coming food manufacturers cooking up something delicious? Often, they’re sharing a rented commercial kitchen space or just starting to get on store shelves.
They make delectables such as “luxury cupcakes.” And warm, comforting birria perfect for a cold day.
There’s even a woman you can hire for a party who tosses candy in salty-sweet chamoy sauce, a sort of “teppenyaki of candy” entertainment as she calls it.
All of them showed off their goods recently at the MADE Central California food show in downtown Fresno.
We’re highlighting six.
Why them?
Because (a) Their food was delicious (yes, this is subjective). And (b) They appear to be going somewhere.
You can buy their products on store shelves locally, at farmers markets or online.
And they might just be the next big name in local food.
Saint Goods: Asian-inspired sweets
Saint Goods is run by sisters Nancy Vang and Suzy Vang Lo, who make all sorts of sweet treats.
That includes Japanese cheesecake and giant cookies. Both come in flavors popular across Asia, such as purple ube (a root vegetable), pandan (a flavor made from a sweet green leaf popular in southeast Asia), brown butter and strawberry shortcake.
When fluffy, jiggly Japanese cheesecake started getting popular worldwide, Vang wondered, “How come we don’t have Japanese cheesecake? How come we don’t have these trendy Asian foods?”
So she and her sister started making them, working out of the Clovis Culinary Center, a nonprofit kitchen and business incubator. Their cheesecake is different than American cheesecake. It’s similar to a blend of chiffon cake and traditional cheesecake and packaged in a clear container the size of a Coke can.
They sell it and other treats at Wonders Ice Cream, the R-N Market at Cedar and Herndon avenues, and Asia Supermarket.
You can also order from Saint Goods website and find them at some Fresno Street Eats events.
Highly Addictive Candy: Spicy candy
Kayla Delgado calls herself “The Mexican Willy Wonka.”
Her company, Highly Addictive Candy, specializes in spicy candy. She tosses Skittles, Gushers, gummy worms and other candy in chamoy and other Mexican flavorings. There’s also “crack powder” made from ground chiles.
Highly Addictive Candy just opened a little store behind Me-N-Ed’s pizzeria at 4739 N. Blackstone Ave., near Gettysburg Avenue.
You can hire Delgado for birthday parties where she tosses the candy in toppings in front of guests.
“It’s like teppanyaki,” she said. “It’s fun for the kids to enjoy and watch.”
You can see in her action on TikTok.
She’s hoping to get her candy on store shelves locally.
In the meantime, you can find her at various pop-up events, including Tuesdays at the River Park Farmers Market and at her store, open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays.
Central Valley Spice Co.: Local spices
The Valley has a lot of local food producers, but someone who grinds their own spices? Not so common.
Shant Guzelian of Central Valley Spice Co. does just that.
He toasts cumin seeds, for example, and then grinds them in small batches and sells them in bottles. He sells a Fresno chili powder, sumac, smoked hot Spanish paprika, and garlic powder made from garlic grown in Hanford.
Many ingredients have to be imported — like turmeric — but he sources locally when he can.
Guzelian, born and raised in the Fresno area, spent 10 years working in the culinary world in the Bay Area. But wanting to afford a house with a big yard and a family, he moved back home.
He’s got a day job in real estate, but the food world wouldn’t let him go. He now operates his young company out of the Clovis Culinary Center.
You can buy his spices online, or by appointment. He’s hoping to start selling to businesses and restaurants.
La Purepecha: Birria in the spotlight
Birria is having a moment right now. The Mexican dish is often made from beef cooked in a combination of tomatoes, chiles, onion, garlic and spices for hours. The recipe has been around for centuries, but is becoming a darling of TikTok and other social media lately.
“Everybody from Mexico knows what it is, but not everybody knows how to cook it, so we make it easy for them,” said Carlos Ramirez, CEO of Fresno-based La Purepecha.
The birria marinade is sold in jars that customers pour over chuck roast.
The company is growing and already in 350 stores in California. You can find it at The Meat Market in Fresno, Tower Market & Deli, El Parian, and other stores listed on its website.
Cookie Bottom Delights: Luxury cupcakes
What’s a luxury cupcake? It’s a large frosted cupcake in shiny foil with another entire dessert on top: a mini cinnamon roll or a brookie (part cookie, part brownie).
They’re made by Cookie Bottom Delights, another culinary center tenant, which also makes giant deep-dish cookies.
“You can call it a cookie pie,” said owner Deirdre Wyrick.
The cookies are so big, they’re essentially pies, at about 4 inches wide and more than an inch tall. They are stuffed with fillings, like Oreos, or red velvet cake.
Other treats are available, including cake jars and cookie sandwiches.
Wyrick is a special education teacher who dreams of someday running a brick-and-mortar bakery and employing young people with special needs.
You may have seen her baked goods at the seasonal Friday night Clovis Farmers Markets. You can order them online and pick up at the culinary center.
Howie’s Micheladas: Micheladas and paraphernalia
Howie’s Micheladas is a Bakersfield company that’s just starting to get into the Fresno market. Yes, it was founded by a man named Howie, Howie Castanon, and he runs it with his wife Deja Nunez.
The business makes michelada cocktail mixes where customers add the beer, lime and ice. That includes drink mixes for people who say they don’t like micheladas.
They come in original, spicy, and cucumber flavors.
They also sell flavored rim paste and rim salt for the edge of the glasses, along with gummy candies coated in chamoy.
You can find Howie’s products at the Tower Market in Fresno and the Buford Star Mart in Hanford. Or, order them online.
This story was originally published November 19, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
