Hailing from Okanagan Falls, B.C., Tickleberry's is a popular One of a Kind Show booth because the staff eagerly offers chocolate-covered fruit treats to passersby. (Jessica Wong/CBC)

Exploring different cuisines, choosing organic foods and supporting local farmers and restaurateurs are culinary trends that many Canadians have incorporated into their lives in recent years.

But in today's climate of recession and financial restraint, what will happen to our dedication to foodie culture?

As with many small businesses across Canada, specialty food producers are worried they will suffer in tough economic times when the public returns to clipping coupons, cutting out frills and counting every penny.

Amid the prevailing mood of belt-tightening, a host of specialty producers at Toronto's annual One of a Kind Show this week are hoping that shoppers are still willing to crack open their wallets to buy a little something special from the more than 800 artisans in attendance.

"I kind of tend to think that people are not buying high-end items [and spending] less on vacations. Now that it's Christmas-time, I'm hoping they will come here and and spend their money wisely. It's close to home," Roger Lambert, better known as Mr. Vinegar, told CBC News.

"I am concerned [about the economy]," he admitted. "I'm prepared to go with the flow. If I have to drop my prices, I will."

Roger Lambert, better known as Mr. Vinegar, produces his flavourful vinegars out of Hamilton with his wife, Joyce. (Jessica Wong/CBC)However, a return-to-dinner-basics mentality isn't necessarily a bad thing though, said the Hamilton-based Lambert, who has used a static fermentation process — which takes much longer than usual commercial fermentation and produces more flavour — to brew his award-winning vinegars for more than a decade.

Homegrown products

When people grow their own food, make jams or try canning, they also truly appreciate what specialty producers have to offer, he says.

"I kind of encourage [it]. When they get into that, they realize what a homegrown product really is. The more they get into that, the more they realize what I have, compared to what else is out there."

The interest in small-batch, home-grown, carefully crafted delicacies is also something that draws people to Tangled Garden condiments, says owner Beverly McClare.

Her brilliant, jewel-like jellies, chutneys, oils and vinegars start with herbs from her large garden in Annapolis Valley, N.S., which are then combined with fruit and wine from local farms, orchards and wineries.

"All our products are made six jars at a time. Everything is hand-chopped. In Nova Scotia right now, Jane and Debbie are digging rosemary out from the snow," she said with a laugh.

"People are very interested in [the fact] that it's organic, that it's made in small batches, that they have a distinct taste of the herb," said McClare, who started her business 20 years ago after life in the restaurant business.

"You see trends [come and go] with food, but I think people are much more concerned with what they're eating and like to buy it direct from the producers."

Instructions included

With Canadians also developing sophisticated palates and becoming more curious about international cuisines, it helps when handmade food products come along with instructions, said Sulana D'Souza, who crafts her Himalaya Gourmet Sauces in Cambridge, Ont.

After starting her business about 15 years ago, D'Souza says she's noticed an uptake in her Indian sauces business over the past five years.

Sulana and Neville D'Souza run Himalaya Gourmet Sauces out of Cambridge, Ont. (Jessica Wong/CBC)"People just love it. Especially that I show them how to use it, give them recipes [and] the fact that it is all natural," she said.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, familiar, traditional treats continue to have a devoted following, according to Kristen Hoy, whose family has sold its Tickleberry's confections at the One of a Kind Show for 17 years.

"We have a lot of loyal customers that have tried out the product and they buy it for family and they keep wanting it every year for stockings," Hoy said of the repeat customers for her family's chocolate-covered fruit, grown in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.

A mainstay of the show, Tickleberry's operates one of the most popular booths thanks to an aggressive sampling policy that Hoy's father, Dale, introduced early on: smiling staffers constantly beckon passersby and eagerly ply them with a variety of sweets.

'Can't say no to chocolate'

The goodwill created, as well as offering a consistently high-quality product with a smile, keeps fans coming back — despite tough times, Hoy said.

"I think we're in a really good price range as well, especially with the economy…. We haven't necessarily noticed [a drop in sales]. People love to eat. They can't say no to chocolate."

While organizers themselves were initially concerned about the economy's potential impact on this year's event, their worries were allayed because early attendance numbers "are better than they were at this time last year," said One of a Kind Show director Patti Stewart, who has headed the event for 20 years.

Beverly McClare creates her jewel-like bottles and jars of Tangled Garden jellies, oils, chutneys and vinegars in Grand Pre, N.S. (Jessica Wong/CBC)"I'm hearing from many of the artisans — as I walk around throughout the day on the show floor — that they're doing very well. Some have had record sales, which is amazing."

Stewart believes that loyalty to the show and to the artisans plays a big part in bringing people back.

"People still want to spend and buy and celebrate with their families for Christmas," she said, adding that many customers have developed an emotional connection to and friendship with favoured vendors.

"People want to feel good. I think people are very much more concerned about shopping locally and shopping from someone you know. I think that has possibly made a difference."

While the vendors are generally feeling optimistic about this holiday season, many are nonetheless anxious about the state of their businesses in the new year.

"We are sort of a higher-end, top-end [food product] — it's $11 for a jar" of condiments, McClare admitted.

Still, while some might indulge in a new tube of lipstick during a recession, "if you're gonna have a little bit of luxury, a jar of radiant raspberry jam is maybe something you can treat yourself to."

The 34th annual One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale continues at Toronto's Direct Energy Centre until Dec. 7. A Chicago edition, now in its seventh year, runs Dec. 4-7. Next year's slate will include a spring edition in Toronto in April, a fall outing in Vancouver in October and shows in New York and Toronto in December.