44
FEB 2017
FOOD FOCUS THAILAND
STRATEGIC
R&D
Obviouslyethnic foodshavebeen in theU.S. for years, but there
aremoremodern takeson traditional favoritesandemergingcuisines
fromCuba, Greece, Peru, Ethiopia, India, Poland and beyond – as
well as more local and region-specific cuisines from within those
lands.Soon,Biryani (Indianseasoned rice,meat,fishorvegetables),
Ropa Vieja (Cubanmeat stew), (Israeli chicken kababs), Bulgogi
(Korean beef) and Pastel de choclo (Peruvian meat and corn
casserole) could appear in the frozen section.
Popular EthnicFoods inU.S.
In fact, U.S. retail sales of ethnic foods totaled nearly $11 billion in
2013, says statista.com, and the diverse category is primed to
generatemore than$12.5billionby2018.Most salesaregenerated
by Mexican/Hispanic foods, with $1.6 billion followed by products
withanAsian/Indian heritage.
Moreareon theway. TakeFilipino favoriteube, for example. It’s
perhaps best known for its most instantly recognizable ingredient,
the vibrant purpleube yam. The tuber isexpected tobegin cropping
up in stores all over this year, according to The Food Channel, but
it’s probably something most folks in the U.S. have never eaten.
Filipino cuisine is hot right now, saysTheFoodChannel, restaurant
trend watchers and other foodies, so look for ube doughnuts, ice
cream and cheesecake as these purple sweets begin to surface
through the American food landscape. West Coast hot spots are
already showcasing ube, which gives food a fun, natural shock of
violet purple. Filipino food overall is expected to expand as people
embraceSoutheastAsian specialties.
According to research by the National Restaurant Assn., 88
percent of American consumers eat at least one ethnic item per
month, while 17 percent eat seven or more. Nearly one-third of
consumers tried a new ethnic cuisine in the past year. In fact, non-
traditional ethnic cuisines have been on a roll in the past decade,
saysNRA, especiallyBrazilian/Argentinian andKorean foods.
Asian foodsmaintain their stronghold in the ethnicmarket.Wild
FlavorsandSpecialty Ingredients,Erlanger,Ky.,notessoaringgrowth
in authentic ethnic flavor profiles and bold flavors in various Asian
foods includingThai, IndianandJapanese.ThecompanysaysAsian
flavorswillcontinue toabound in refrigerated/frozenmeals,appetizers
and snacks, as familiar ingredients such aswasabi, ginger and soy
giveway to cardamom, five-spice, fish sauce and lime. Consumers
From fresh,bright,healthful fare to theexotic,withPacific,
African and Asian influences, ethnic and international
foodsseem tobeeverywhere.Specialtyand international
foodaislesare increasing insupermarketsasconsumers,
especiallymillennials,wantmore interesting fare. Foods
of theworldaremorepopular nowbecause international
travel, immigration and global trade have skyrocketed,
driving great interest globally inethnic cuisine.
havebecomemuchmoreadventurous in foodchoices, thecompany
notes,with increasingdemand forKorea’sbulgogi andkimcheeand
Vietnam’s goi con and pho. Asian flavor profiles focus on achieving
abalanceofsweet,sour,salty,umamiandspicy,oftenall in thesame
dish.
BoldAsian Influences
PFChang’sHomeMenuMeals frozenentrees fromConAgraFoods
are inspiredby those the restaurant chainmakes in itsChinaBistros,
althougharenot identical to them. The frozenproducts’ similar bold,
sophisticated flavors are approved by the restaurants, though the
sauces,vegetablesandproteinsaredifferent inflavorand ingredients.
Food processors are finding all sorts of creative ways to meet
consumerwants forboldflavorswhilekeepinghealthfulness inmind.
Spicy Asian condiments like gochujang will be slathered on meat,
seafood and poultry as sauces, marinades and rubs, while other
Southeast Asian, especiallyMalaysian, influences and spices from
Peru like rocoto, aji amarilo and aji panca, paired with citrus fruits,
will come into their own, according to the annual flavor predictions
fromMcCormick & Co. Sambal sauce from Indonesia, made with
chillies, rice vinegar andgarlic, isanother spicy find theHunt Valley,
Md. company has identified as an upcoming trend.
