Something Bold, Something New
As populations become more culturally diverse, mainstream consumers are looking for ethnic offerings to spice up their life.
A decade ago, U.S. consumers would be hard pressed to find store brand spring rolls or empanadas on a shopping trip. But according to "Ethnic Foods — US — January 2011," a report from global research group Mintel International, the expanding ethnic population is "piquing 'mainstream' Americans' interest in new cuisines." The popularity of cooking television shows and international travel over the last decade also have helped boost interest in cuisines from around the globe.
"Americans are being exposed to international foods when they dine at restaurants, and many are recreating ethnic dishes at home," the report says.
Keith Chen, president of Toronto-based Culinary Destinations, points to New York's hip momofuku Korean restaurant as a popular spot, noting that Korean food is enjoying the kind of growth among Americans that Thai and Japanese cuisine saw several years ago.
Today's social functions, too, tend to include foods with an ethnic flair, says Edward Salzano, executive vice president and chief operating officer of LiDestri Foods, Fairport, N.Y.
"It could be a wedding; it could be a charity event — the food now is very diversified, especially appetizers," he notes, adding that even a simple piece of chicken often is prepared with an exotic sauce, be it Thai, Mandarin or even South African.
Begin with bites
Appetizers seem to be a good place to start for retailers looking to roll out ethnic offerings for mainstream consumers, the Mintel report says. Small bites — such as foods found at a tapas bar — offer the chance to "incorporate little tastes of new cuisine and flavors into old eating habits."
Alfons van Heerwaarden, president of Parnassia Food, Jersey City, N.J., believes retailers would do well by first introducing ethnic finger foods that are easy to prepare. He especially admires Monrovia, Calif.-based Trader Joe's, which offers easy-to-prepare exotic products such as Lemongrass Chicken Stix and fully cooked edamame. In some cases, the appropriate dipping sauce is included, adding value to the product.
"Would you ever have tried sushi if you had to prepare it yourself the first time?" van Heerwaarden asks.
Such products also are not very messy — another plus, says Mike Ryan, vice president of marketing at Union, N.J.-based Deep Foods.
Samosas or spring rolls "are easy-to-eat handheld items," he says. "You don't end up with cheese all over your fingers. It's all about new, interesting flavors and ease of consumption."
Frozen entrées also are easy to prepare and require little cooking know-how and cleanup, says Rhonda Rainwater, national account manager for Food Source LP, McKinney, Texas.
"[Today's shoppers] are more likely to pick up a frozen prepared meal that features a restaurant-style offering instead of going out to eat or purchasing multiple ingredients to prepare for themselves," she says. "Quick preparation, great taste and easy to little cleanup [are] high on their demand list," she says, noting that frozen Indian entrées are especially popular today.
But what types of Indian dishes appeal to mainstream consumers browsing the frozen food section? According to Ryan, Chicken Tikka Masala — an Indian dish adored in the United Kingdom — is the most popular Indian entrée in the United States. Several retailers offer the dish under their own brands, including Supervalu and Trader Joe's.
Chen warns that retailers shouldn't lump all Indian cuisines together as if they come from the same region, however.
"South Indian is much spicier and rice-based. North Indian is bread-based," he says.
Chen also notes that traditional Cantonese fare — what usually comes to mind when Americans think of Chinese food — is giving way to foods from other regions. For example, Szechuan cuisine — which originates from the Sichuan region of southwest China — has a stronger, bolder flavor (think Kung Pao Chicken). More and more consumers are looking for this kind of flavor in their Chinese food.
In a similar respect, "south of the border" doesn't automatically mean Mexican; Chen says the market is seeing Colombian and Peruvian foods emerge. Italian food also is becoming more regionalized.
Romancing the label
For Italian foods, Salzano says retailers can be more adventurous with their sauces as consumers grow more educated.
"They might come out with a true Bolognese sauce, come out with a Puttanesca, try some sauces that have different mouthfeels, go for bigger chunks," he says.
Although most Bolognese sauces are made with beef, Salzano says retailers could "romance the label" by making a Bolognese sauce with a blend of beef, pork and lamb or veal. But he notes that retailers cannot just put such products on the shelf and expect them to sell — consumers want to know a product's background, and retailers need to offer that information.
Salzano also encourages retailers to be creative when coming up with recipes. For example, his company not only created a recipe for black bean and corn salsa, but also incorporated the salsa into several new recipes — including a meatball recipe.
"And what was interesting [is that] it gave a whole different feel. ... And then we recommended that instead of a sauce, you use the con queso we made — a cheese sauce — as the dip for it. It became very ethnic ... very Southwest."
Another recipe that fuses two regional favorites is pizza made on Indian naan bread. Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market offers a recipe for Fresh Mozzarella, Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Naan Bread Pizzas on its website, cross-merchandising various national and store brand ingredients for a meal solution.
Speaking of cross-merchandising, shelf talkers are helpful, Chen says. For example, retailers could use them to promote shelf-stable olives with cheeses and frozen appetizers, communicating a tapas-style meal solution.
And demos are a good way to explain where a product is from and why it's so appealing, Chen says.
"Really have people try the product," he advises. "Ultimately, it's about giving the consumers what they want, but they might not know they like it, so you should explain why it's good."
Mind the pack
But if retailers really want their products to fly off the shelf, packaging needs to be appealing. For boxed appetizers or entrées, eye-catching photography is critical, as it can win over an on-the-fence customer, Ryan believes.
"Someone's going to say, 'I don't like curry' when they think of Indian food — it's one of those reactions that you often get," he explains. "But if they see a picture of a luscious meal, that might stop them for a split second — long enough to make a purchase."
For products such as sauces or olives in glass or PET packaging, retailers should make sure labels don't obscure the view of the product. van Heerwaarden says Parnassia's clear labels help products "pop" on the shelf.
If a product is all-natural, trans-fat-free or low in sodium, calling out the information can appeal to the health-conscious consumer, Rainwater says.
"Whenever possible, bring this information to a consumer's attention instead of making them search for it on a nutritional panel or ingredient statement. This can easily influence a decision," she says.
'They might not know they like it, so you should explain why it's good.'
— Keith Chen, president, Culinary Destinations