Foreign Food Fare

Despite what certain political figures would like to perpetuate, the U.S. is a culturally diverse nation. Nowhere is that more transparent than in the foods consumed on a daily basis. 

For example, how often does the following conversation occur across America? 

Dad: “What do you want for dinner?”

Mom: “Sushi?” 

Dad:  “I had sushi for lunch.”

First child: “I want pizza.”

Dad: “We had pizza last night. Mexican?”

Second child: “How about Chinese?”

Grandmother: “Thai?”

Mom: “Indian.”

Grandfather: “Maybe we should try Greek… or Korean?”

The above may be a bit of an exaggeration (maybe not), but the message is obvious, more and more people are looking to expand their food options. 

“The demographics of the American consumer are changing rapidly, and not just Millennials,” says Jack Acree, executive vice president of American Halal/Saffron Roads Foods, based in Stamford, Conn. “Either via ethnic background, exposure to ethnic foods, through travel or the burgeoning food truck movement, today’s consumer has been exposed to new and diverse foods in other parts of their life, and now they expect to be able to buy them in the supermarket.” 

Of course Millennials, seemingly like every other aspect within society, are having a strong affect on the foods people are eating today. “Millennials are known for their adventurous palates and desire for unique, authentic culinary experiences, which means that ethnic foods are likely to resonate with this group,” says Rachel P. Cullen, president and CEO of Ruiz Foods, based in Dinuba, Calif., and maker of the El Monterey brand. “This coupled with their current status as the most populous generation, and Millennials represent a definite opportunity for international food flavors.”

Those opportunities include not only the traditional international cuisines such as Italian, Mexican and Chinese, among others; but emerging cuisines like Cuban, Brazilian, Korean, African, Peruvian and Filipino. Many of these emerging cuisines are obviously Latin-based fare, an area that Goya Foods is quite familiar with. 

This year, Goya Foods, based in Secaucus, N.J., is celebrating 80 years of offering Latin foods in the U.S. “As leaders of and experts of Hispanic products from different countries, we believe Goya provides current and new customers with a whole new and exciting culinary experience,” says Joseph Perez, senior vice president of Goya Foods.

While foods from around the globe carry a certain allure, when searching for meals, consumers still hold to the basic tenets of today’s current trends—namely the desire to buy and eat healthier foods. To that end, Goya is working to expand its healthy product line. It now offers low sodium and organic beans, quinoa and rices, among other items.

To better help home chefs work healthier Latin-inspired dishes into their repertoire, Goya has also launched a MyPlate cookbook, which features 30 healthy Latin recipes and product highlights. Convenience is another trend that time-starved consumers are looking for when it is time to eat. To meet that need Goya has bulked up its frozen offerings. Goya’s frozen line now includes traditional products from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Colombia and El Salvador. 

Of course, the most popular Latin-based foods remain Mexican. “El Monterey frozen Mexican food fits into the current culinary trends,” Cullen says. El Monterey items include burritos, chimichangas, tamales, Signature quesadillas, taquitos and the Signature breakfast line. “People continue to look for convenient foods that are not only easy to prepare, but offer quality and great taste,” she says. “El Monterey remains committed to meeting those compelling consumer needs.” 

Water World

Though not inherently ethnic, seafood often pairs well with internationally-based sauces, seasonings and marinades. Through independent company research studies, Beaver Street Fisheries determined that consumers are looking for new and exciting flavor profiles in seafood offerings.  

“Asian profiles are very robust and work very well with seafood,” says Bluzette Carline, director of marketing for Jacksonville, Fla.-based Beaver Street Fisheries. “Therefore through our extensive research we developed what we feel will be a tasteful addition to a frozen seafood item. We aim to create products that deliver restaurant quality and flavors. This new line does just that.” 

It is no surprise that Beaver Street decided to pair with Asian cuisine; industry observers say consumers perceive Asian foods as fresh, healthy, customizable and fusion-friendly. While it pairs well with seafood, Asian cuisine is also relatively popular on its own. According to Chicago-based IRI, sales of Asian-style foods are up nearly four percent at supermarkets, drugstores, mass merchants, military commissaries, and select club and dollar retail chains for the 52 weeks ended April 17. Overall, sales reached $654.5 million.  

Among the more popular segments of Asian cuisine is the sauces category. Lee Kum Kee, maker of Chinese sauces with U.S. headquarters in New York and Los Angeles, has been introducing authentic Chinese sauces to North America for more than 125 years. While authentic Eastern flavors are en vogue, there is also a large market for Americanized versions.

“We also tailor our flavors to fit Americans’ palate so that it is easier for locals to accept the flavors,” says Elaine Thai, vice president of marketing for Lee Kum Kee USA. “For example, we launched a sriracha mayo in 2013, which is a product marrying East, sriracha chili sauce, and West, mayonnaise.”  

The customizability of Asian food is not only present on the manufacturer side; it carries over to consumers’ kitchens as well. JSL Foods is a maker of Asian noodles such as Yakisoba and Udon. Wayne Nielsen, vice president sales and marketing for the Los Angeles-based company, says, “Noodles are a great flavor carrier and are most often eaten with fresh vegetables. Consumers make our noodle products a blank canvas and customize them with their favorite ingredients, making the finished entrée or side their own.”

Consumers are inundated with such large amounts of internationally-inspired food fare options it can be difficult for retailers to get a gauge on just which products they should—and should not—carry. Though there is a large choice, observers say too often retailers stock the most common two or three items.  

“I still see many duplicative items on retailer shelves,” says Acree. “Retailers should add more diversity to their offerings and have a serious look at SKU rationalization. Ethnic or world cuisine adds incrementally to the category and does not cannibalize on existing sales.”