News Article

  

Today’s US food market is being shaped by a population that is increasing in diversity and aging. Health and wellness as well as sophistication are also factors. The US Census Bureau reports 14 million Asian and 41.3 million Hispanic people in the US, and they have a major impact on American culture including food. Aging boomers have money and are willing to spend it. They like to eat out, and they like foods that are hot, spicy, and bold. Tastes are sophisticated, requiring bold new flavors, complexity, culinary fusion, and authenticity.

 

Asian and Hispanic foods are hot culinary trends. Mexican food is on the upswing in fast food, casual restaurants, and fine dining. Americans are enthusiastically embracing a wide range of new tastes and flavors as Latin foods make further inroads into mainstream shopping and dining. In retail, ethnic foods account for 12% of all retail food sales and that is increasing every year. Of that, 42% is Hispanic influenced.

 

Americans' enchantment with Latin food appears to be growing, in good part because of the explosion of new tastes, ingredients and combinations. As tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and taquitos have gone largely mainstream in supermarket freezers cases, other items, like empanadas, plantains, sofrito, Caribbean barbecue and the Acai berry from the Brazilian rain forest, are taking center stage.

 

Southeast Asia is a cook's paradise, and an eater's as well. The food of any region is not only the result of what ground and climate will produce, but also of who has been there, what powers have influenced it, how poor or wealthy the people are, and what its sensibilities prefer. The major influences on Southeast Asian cuisines have been exerted by China from the east (the wok, noodles) and India (curries) from the west. As in Chinese cuisine, the cook strives for a harmonious balance of textures, temperatures and flavors: sweet, sour, salty, bitter.

 

Creating quality ethnic products often requires whole, natural foods, authentic fresh flavors, functionality, clean labels, convenience, superior color and body and high quality. VJI’s line of authentic products including, juices, purees, dices, blends, sauces, and dehydrates can help achieve just that. They employ innovative market-driven applications, new processes, new ingredients, new proprietary blends and emerging trends and technologies.

 

Purchasing pre-blends often results in labor savings, reduced equipment, less research time, consistent product and guaranteed quality. VJI can assist customers with every, or up to any point from concept through finished product.

 

 

Title: Tequila Lime Dressing

Caption: From scratch this dressing contains 26 ingredients. Using preblends, it has only nine ingredients, and consistent quality.

Source: Vegetable Juices, Inc.

 

 

Navigating, Creating and Capitalizing on Ethnic Food Trends

Given By: James Duncan, Vegetable Juices, Inc. Duncan@vegetablejuices.com www.vegetablejuices.com

Summary By: Elizabeth Mannie, Contributing Editor