BECAUSE YOUNGER LOOK FOR BOLD FLAVORS AND SHAREABLE OPTIONS, AUTHENTIC DISHES FROM MANY CULTURES ARE GROWING IN POPULARITY. HORMEL The New American Palate BY PEGGY CAROUTHERS Global cuisine is a culinary powerhouse. It dominated the National Restaurant Association s 2018 What s Hot food trends report, which predicts that street foodinspired dishes, ethnic-inspired breakfast, authentic ethnic cuisine, and ethnic spices are all going to be big players in the culinary landscape this year. Not only do consumers want wider varieties of options on menus, but they also want to have authentic flavor experiences. Younger consumers are largely driving this trend. Having grown up i n a connected world, millennials and Gen Z expect to find new taste adventures at restaurants. Datassential s Global Flavors Keynote from November 2017 reports that 68 percent of millennials and Gen Z have gone out of their way to try a novel global flavor, says Nick Spondike, executive chef and vice president of research and development at Kronos Foods. They view food as an opportunity for exploration. These diners also view food as an experience, says Mike Buononato, corporate chef at MARS Foodservice. Younger consumers crave a complex dining experience, from flavor to texture to cultural immersion, he says. It excites the senses, is memorable, and is meant to be consumed in a social setting. Though consumers want to try new foods, they also want these experiences to be authentic. Globally inspired cuisine will continue to trend upward, and authenticity will be key, says Mark Stavro, senior director of marketing at 64 FEBRUARY 2018 SPONSORED CONTENT FOODNEWSFEED.COM
KRONOS FOODS Bunge. Customers no longer seek the Americanized versions of ethnic foods; rather, they look for foods that provide a more specific provenance and original flavor experience flavors from individual regions of Mexico, China, and more. As these diverse cuisines become more familiar to American diners, they are blending into U.S. culture. As globalized as the world is today, cities are made out of ethnic populations and multicultural backgrounds that bring forward that melting pot of flavors from around the globe, says Jorge Alberto Cespedes, consulting chef for Mission Foods. American cuisine is likely to be redefined, says Annemarie Vaupel, innovation team lead at Hormel Foodservice. At some point, we will stop referring to these flavors and formats as ethnic and simply refer to them as American or New American, she says. Everything has been assimilated and blended together, and what was once considered to be ethnic and diverse is now part of our everyday American food culture. These flavors are also appearing in new applications that highlight other trends, like health or portability. Ethnic menuing will continue to broaden into the familiar but different a mashup style of offerings, Buononato says. Items such as a Madras Curry Taco will be highlighted by an authentic sauce and flavor in a portable, relevant platform. Blending ethnic flavors with dishes BY PAIRING GLOBAL CUISINE WITH OTHER TRENDS, SUCH AS HEALTHY FOOD OR PORTABILITY, RESTAURANTS CAN ADD FURTHER APPEAL TO NEW OFFERINGS. commonly found in the U.S. market can also be a smart way for restaurants to safely explore new ingredients and flavors. Restaurants can take ethnic ingredients and make them more approachable by blending them with familiar flavor profiles and formats, like using Korean beef as the protein option in tacos or swapping regular beef for Korean beef in a classic and familiar cheesesteak sandwich, Vaupel says. Blending bold adventurous flavors with what is familiar is an easy way for operators to get their customers familiar and comfortable with new flavors. Cespedes recommends a similar strategy. Getting people to try new flavors isn t easy but we recommend piggy-backing a new flavor with a dish or concept that customers already know and like, he says. For example, if a chef wants to play with Peruvian aji amarillo pepper, he could make a sauce for a roasted chicken dish or incorporate the hot yellow pepper in a dehydrated and powder state into rub for a roasted pork item. Spondike recommends adding ethnic toppings to staple menu items. For example, he says a restaurant could add gyro meat, tzatziki, and feta cheese to a burger for a Greek twist on this classic. This makes food more fun and approachable, he says. It is also important to add your own brand flair to the dish to make it unique to your restaurant. For restaurants trying to decide where to begin with ethnic fare, Vaupel says the Menu Adoption Cycle is a good place to start. Right now it s all about Mediterranean and Korean flavors, and next we are going to see flavors and influences from South America, such as Brazil and Peru, she says. At the beginning stages of the cycle, in the inception phase, we see flavors and cuisines influenced from the East, such as cuisines from Russia and Poland. Because Mediterranean cuisine is very prominent and also supports another food trend health it can be a great starting point. Flatbreads, for example, have become common across all foodservice segments, and they appeal to health-conscious diners due to their thin profile and light, crispy texture, he says. Gyro meat is also poised for continued growth, which Spondike says is also being used across dayparts, such as in a Greek breakfast skillet, as well as in lunch offerings. Falafel is another popular choice, since it offers vegetarian patrons a plant-based protein option. South and Central American cuisines are also safe bets, Cespedes says, noting that Peruvian hot peppers, sweet, savory potatoes, ceviche, and tiradito can be extremely appealing to American audiences. Colombian and Venezuelan dishes, like arepas, have also become a strong players in the street-food movement due to their flavorful stuffing and the ease of portability, he says. Though Mexican and Asian cuisines are very familiar to Americans, they still offer opportunities for exploration, Stavro says. [Expect] increasing demand for less common flavors and more specific regional highlights, Stavro says. Though consumers want to see more global offerings, restaurants need to maintain their identities, Vaupel says. Never try to be someone you re not rather, look for ways to take smart risks with flavors, preparation methods, and formats that align with your menu and your patron base. Through thoughtful innovation, you can offer dishes that provide your guests with a new and unique experience, but still align with your restaurant s core identity. 66 FEBRUARY 2018 SPONSORED CONTENT FOODNEWSFEED.COM
Ethnic Flavor Trends ETHNIC FLAVOR TRENDS TO WATCH & UNDERSTAND // CHIMICHURRI An Argentinian sauce for grilled meats often consisting of fresh parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, SHISHITO PEPPERS A medium-sized Japanese pepper notable because approximately one-in-ten peppers 24% 12% 1 3 pound of sweet peppers: pan blistered and sprin- Rosario s // SAN ANTONIO, TX 43% 20% Chimichurri Pork Loin: Pan-seared marinated and chile Endolyne Joe s // SEATTLE, WA BANH MI Fusion versions of Bahn Mi can be found on creative 20% 10% Steak Banh Mi: // PORTLAND, OR GOCHUJANG hot sauce often used as a marinade on roast meat or 13% 7% Korean BBQ Burger: All-natural beef, lettuce blend, // CULVER CITY, CA (HQ) SCHNITZEL 60% 35% Pork Schnitzel: // HILLSBORO, OR 68 FOODNEWSFEED.COM
FAST GROWING GLOBAL INGREDIENTS AND TERMS // Ranked by four-year growth in ethnic* and non-ethnic restaurants. * Ethnic restaurants are those that specialize in a particular global cuisine or a fusion of global cuisines. ENTRÉES // ETHNIC RESTAURANTS Gochujang +++% Furikake +++% Habanero Sauce +299% Calabrian Chili Pepper +285% Bulgur +266% ENTRÉES // NON-ETHNIC RESTAURANTS Guajillo Pepper +++% Crudo +234% Wagyu +182% Salsa Roja +181% Black Rice +140% HANDHELDS // ETHNIC RESTAURANTS Jambon +261% Burrata +254% Sriracha +195% Quinoa +195% Serrano Pepper +170% HANDHELDS // NON-ETHNIC RESTAURANTS Sriracha +++% Kimchi +++% Quinoa +256% Tomatillo +226% Crema +201% (+++% INDICATES >300% GROWTH) // SOURCE: DATASSENTIAL 2017 KEYNOTE REPORT: GLOBAL FLAVORS MENU ADOPTION ETHNIC CUISINE TYPES 1. INCEPTION dining and ethnic independents, Inception-stage presentation. 1. Bohemian 2. Brazilian 3. Argentinian 4. Russian 5. Norwegian 6. Polish 7. African 8. 3. PROLIFERATION Proliferation-stage trends show adjusted for mainstream appeal. Often combined with popular applications (burgers, pastas, etc.), these 1. Mediterranean 2. Cuban 3. Regional Italian 4. Southern 5. Regional Mexican 2. ADOPTION Found at fast-casual and casual indepen- price points and simpler prep methods. Still differentiated, these trends often feature premium and/or generally authentic ingredients. 1. British 2. Japanese 3. Thai 4. Hawaiian 5. Spanish 6. French 7. German 8. Vietnamese 9. Indian 10. Korean 4. UBIQUITY can be found across all sectors of the food industry. Though often diluted by this point, their inceptionstage roots are still recognizable. 1. Chinese 2. Italian 3. Mexican 70 FEBRUARY 2018 FOODNEWSFEED.COM