Cultural influences drive popularity of ethnic flavors
Cultural influences and the more adventurous taste buds of U.S. consumers have made flavors like tikka masala, poblano, and doenjang recognized names on grocery store shelves and restaurant menus.
Cultural influences and the more adventurous taste buds of U.S. consumers have made flavors like tikka masala, poblano, and doenjang recognized names on grocery store shelves and restaurant menus. The affinity U.S. consumers continue to show for ethnic flavors and dishes is supported by the fact that 75% of U.S. adults, especially young adults, are open to trying new foods, reports The NPD Group, a global information company.
When consumers dine out they want to see hot, garlic, and spicy flavors and foods on menus. Dollars of total spices and seasonings shipped from broadline foodservice distributors to restaurants and other foodservice outlets increased by 7% versus a year ago in the year ending March 2017, according to NPD’s SupplyTrack, a monthly tracking service that follows every product shipped from major broadline distributors to their foodservice operators. Among the top growing spices and seasonings being shipped to independent restaurants and commercial and non-commercial foodservice outlets are curries, examples of which are tikka masala and yellow curry, which grew by 11%, and chili peppers, like aleppo and habanero, which grew by 12%.
At home, there is a rise in homemade Asian and Hispanic dishes and use of more flavorful items like chili peppers. Mainstream Asian flavors include fish sauce, doenjang, garlic chives, ginger and lapsang souchong, according to NPD’s continual tracking of U.S. consumers’ eating habits. Among the growing and emerging Asian flavors are Asian pear, galangal, lychee, mango, and papaya. When it comes to Hispanic flavors, jalapeno, habanero, ghost pepper, and mole negro are mainstream. Hibiscus, dragon fruit, mammee, and bitter orange are among the emerging and growing Hispanic flavors and foods found in U.S. kitchens.
“The growing Asian and Hispanic populations in the United States have introduced new flavors into the American diet and many of these flavors are now mainstays in our kitchens and on menus,” said Ann Roberts, vice president, SupplyTrack. “There are also new flavors and flavor profiles emerging and growing, which makes it important for distributors, manufacturers, and foodservice operators to understand the impact of ethnic cultures and their related flavors in order to recognize growth opportunities.”