Demand for international flavors and ingredients is crossing many borders—Korea, India, and the Middle East are the hot zones.
DATELINE, THE WORLD—Where you don’t have to travel to sample multiple global specialties. In fact, according to Datassential, global foods have lost much of the exotic, foreign image they might once have had. International flavors and specialties weave in and out of consumers’ diets whether they are cooking in their own kitchens or ordering a pizza.
54% of consumers will go out of their way to try a new global food they’ve heard about, including 68% of Millennials and Gen Z.
Now that Italian, Mexican, and, to a lesser extent, Chinese have become nearly commonplace, savvy customers are looking to new horizons, including the food and beverages of India, Korea, and the Middle East. These may be sampled first in ethnic restaurants, but in their march to the mainstream they’re becoming more familiar, less intimidating, and an important strategy for keeping offerings as fresh, new, and exciting.
For operators, that means sourcing is easier and the opportunity for innovation is strong, with the ability to add flavors, ingredients, and iconic recipes in ways that can be authentically ethnic or globally inspired fusion.
Consumers no longer need to travel to eat global food, because it’s available locally; only 20% get it through travel.
Source: Datassential Global Flavors Keynote Report, November 2017
Gochujang, kimchi, bibimbap. If these sound unfamiliar now, get ready: Korean flavors and cooking techniques are becoming a major part of the global cuisine story. In fact, Datassential predicts four-year growth in the 95th percentile, meaning the Korean category will outperform 95% of all other foods, beverages, and ingredients over the next four years.
23% of consumers learn about global food by sampling it at a supermarket; 22% learn about it by browsing the aisles.
As Asian food and beverages continue to become more commonplace in the United States, Korean offerings provide an adventurous next level. Largely based on rice, vegetables, and meat seasoned with spicy fermented products like kimchi (cabbage and other vegetables), gochujang (chili paste), and seasoned soy sauce, Korean cuisine and fusion foods like Korean tacos are growing in interest.
Gochujang is on 1.5% of US menus, and has grown 292% in the past four years. Kimchi has grown 59%, to 5.5% of menus.
Many operators are introducing Korean flavors to mainstream favorites like steak, burgers, and rice bowls via condiments and cooking techniques, including Korean barbecue like albi (a.k.a. galbi ) and bulgogi—short ribs and thinly sliced beef or pork, respectively. The technique of marinating ingredients in a mixture of soy, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic, then searing them can be adapted to any protein and many vegetables. Korean barbecue is traditionally served with lettuce leaves for wrapping, condiments, and banchan (small side dishes)— perfect for a sharing experience.
Sources: Datassential Global Flavors Keynote Report, November 2017; Datassential SNAP! Korean, 2018; Datassential SNAP! Gochujang, 2018; Datassential SNAP! Kimchi, 2018
New Seasons Markets offer such specialties as Korean BBQ Wings, ready-to-cook Korean Flatiron Steak, and potatoes seasoned with housemade “chogo” sauce.
Ramen and sushi may be getting a lot of love among emerging Asian specialties, but now there’s tikka masala, naan, and chai. Rich, complex, and vegetarian-friendly, Indian cuisine is loaded with potential for mainstream popularity.
53% of consumers and 88% of operators are familiar with Indian food, including naan, curry, lentils, and tandoori.
The Indian pantry lends itself particularly well to fusion “mashups,” where key ingredients and flavors are adapted to more familiar platforms like sandwiches, appetizers, beverages, and desserts.
Naan bread, often served as a flatbread or a carrier for sandwiches, is on 2.7% of US menus, representing four-year growth of 30.8%.
According to Datassential, masala (referring to any of many blends of spices used in Indian cuisine, most often containing cardamom, coriander, mace, pepper, nutmeg, and fennel seeds, among others) is one of the 10 fastest-growing globally influenced terms and ingredients found in entrées served by non-ethnic restaurants, notching four-year growth of 140%. Samosas, a type of crispy dumpling popular in India as a snack, have grown 300% on mainstream menus. Naan bread is one of the most-menued globally influenced apps and sides on non-ethnic menus, experiencing four-year growth of 172%.
Chai has grown 25.6% since 2014, and is now on 6.8% of US menus, as both a beverage and a flavor profile.
Consumers are open to this kind of multicultural menuing. In fact, 18% of consumers characterized their last globally inspired dish as being “fusion,” and 35% say it doesn’t matter who prepares global foods as long as they are competent cooks.
Sources: Datassential SNAP! Chai, 2018; Datassential Global Flavors Keynote Report, November 2017; Datassential SNAP! Naan, 2018
In Chicago, Vermilion mixes up Indian and Latin influences like Duck Vindaloo Arepas and Tandoori Skirt Steak. The Kati Roll mini-chain turns flat paratha bread into global wraps.
With Mediterranean proliferating on menus and in retail foodservice venues, it stands to reason that consumers and operators alike would begin digging a little deeper into the region’s treasures, exploring the cuisine of Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel. While the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern market baskets have much in common—including bold flavors, and healthy, plant-focused foods—the Middle Eastern trend takes the huge popularity of more familiar Mediterranean cuisine and stamps it with the authenticity of a specific place.
19% of consumers are eating more Middle Eastern food now than they were a year ago, second only to Asian food.
42% of consumers say they are interested in Middle Eastern foods, and 23% have visited a restaurant that specializes in it.
57% of operators either menu or have menued Middle Eastern menu items in the past year, and 40% of operators say they are open to offering them.
At Seneca College, Sultan’s Middle Eastern Cuisine is Aramark’s proprietary brand featuring shawarma, donair, and falafel.
Characterized by ingredients like olives, lamb, tahini, grains and legumes, fresh green herbs, honey, yogurt, nuts, tea, and dried fruits, Middle Eastern food is healthy and approachable. Mezze—dips, salads, and small plates shared as appetizers—are popular throughout the region. Commonly known Middle Eastern specialties outside of the Middle East include hummus, pita, tabbouleh, falafel, and kebabs.
Sources: Datassential Global Flavors Keynote Report, November 2017; Datassential SNAP! Shakshuka, 2018; Datassential SNAP! Hibiscus, 2018; Datassential SNAP! Falafel, 2018; Datassential SNAP! Tabbouleh, 2018; Datassential SNAP! Zaatar, 2018
