Authenticity Key Ingredient in Ethnic Fare

Interest in ethnic food has risen over the past several years.

March 05, 2012

CHICAGO -- Ethnic food preparation and consumption has been on the rise over the past several years, and it will continue its growth, according to Mintel's latest research. But what's most important to consumers when it comes to their favorite ethnic fare? Authenticity. Two-thirds of Mintel respondents who eat ethnic food at home say authentic or traditional flavor is the most important factor when buying or eating ethnic food.

"If flavor fanatics are going to spend their hard earned money and time visiting an ethnic restaurant or buying international foods to prepare at home, increasingly, they want it to be the real deal," said David Browne, senior analyst at Mintel, in a press release. "Therefore, products positioned as such have a greater likelihood of finding favor with consumers."

Aside from an authentic flavor, ethnic foodies also place importance on all-natural (49%), premium/gourmet or artisanal (49%) and reduced fat (48%) positional claims, which round out the top characteristics overall that matter in the purchase decision.

"This interest in genuine ethnic fare aligns with a broader consumer trend, 'The Real Thing,?? where we see consumers continually set a higher bar for what they consider authentic," said Alexandra Smith, director of consumer trends at Mintel. "Today??s American has much greater exposure to diverse cultures than an American 20 years ago. And as once-exotic things like sushi or yoga become mainstream, we seek new, more niche markers of cultural authenticity."

Meanwhile, a full 81% of respondents say they ate ethnic food away from home in the month leading up to the survey, a six percentage point increase from 2010. According to Mintel Menu Insights, the five most popular ethnic cuisine menu items in restaurants at the end of Q3 2011 were Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Pan-Asian and Japanese. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food saw robust growth in the past year and both are expected to continue to gain in popularity in the future, likely due to food provider Sabra, as well as a healthy and convenient positioning.

"Consumer interest in healthy eating and convenience food contributes to the growth seen in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern categories," said Browne. "The growing popularity of pre-packaged hummus and Greek-style yogurt mixed with the deli salad case offering chickpea, tabbouleh and orzo salads is giving this cuisine a healthful and easy edge on the competition."

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