Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Americans are slow to accept new international cuisines
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- Figure 1: Food attitudes, any agree, summer 2009-18
- Younger consumers aren’t as smitten with Italian and Chinese cuisines as their older counterparts are
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- Figure 2: International food preferences – any type of purchase NET, by age, November 2018
- Cultural appropriation is a growing concern
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- Figure 3: International food restaurant offerings, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- The opportunities
- It’s the season for seasonings
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- Figure 4: Food attitudes, any agree, summer 2009-18
- Younger consumers are more adventurous diners
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- Figure 5: International food consumption motivators, by age, November 2018
- Asian and Hispanic consumers over index for international food consumption
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- Figure 6: International food consumption frequency, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- International cuisine adoption is slow
- Consumers are embracing heavily spiced foods
- Populations of frequent international food eaters are outpacing those of less-frequent eaters
Market Factors
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- Consumers are increasingly diverse
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- Figure 7: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2013-23
- Employment is at all-time high among Hispanic populations
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- Figure 8: Hispanic and National Labor Force Unemployment Rates, January 2007-November 2018
- Opportunity exists to convert unenthusiastic cooks with international products
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- Figure 9: Share of cooking segments, 2016-2018
- Consumers increasingly prefer foods cooked with lots of spices
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- Figure 10: Food attitudes, any agree, summer 2009-18
Key Trends – What You Need to Know
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- Ethnic fast-casuals proliferate
- Popular international cuisines may go regional to appeal to youth
- Restaurant-branded international CPG products gain traction
What’s Working?
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- Fast casual works as an approachable format for international foods
- Bowl Fusion
- American Indian
- Latin American
- Asian
- Food halls
- Israeli cuisine proliferates
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- Figure 11: Trader Joe’s – Zhoug Sauce
- Indian finally goes mainstream
- CPG continues to innovate international offerings in several categories
- Sauces
- Condiments
- Meals/entrees
- Snacks
What’s Struggling?
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- Is the Mediterranean bubble about to burst?
- Traditional international foods lose favor among young consumers
- Cultural appropriation becomes a growing concern for some
What’s Next?
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- Ayurveda
- International kids menus
- Japanese Omakase and Izakaya
- Omakase
- Izakaya
- African cuisines
- Fast-Casual Fusion
- Moroccan Crosses Categories
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- Figure 12: Hodo Moroccan Tofu Cubes
- Ethiopian
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- Figure 13: Departure Snacks Ethiopian Berbere Dry-Roasted Almonds
- South African
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Most consumers would rather eat international foods at a restaurant than cook them
- Mexican is more popular than Italian cuisine
- Latin and African are emerging cuisines to watch
International Food Consumption
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- Over a quarter of consumers eat international foods a few times a month
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- Figure 14: International food consumption frequency, November 2018
- The frequent international food eater is a city-dwelling Millennial
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- Figure 15: International food consumption frequency, by generation, November 2018
- Figure 16: International food consumption frequency, by location, November 2018
- Asians and Hispanics are frequent international food eaters
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- Figure 17: International food consumption frequency, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- Alyssa is a frequent international food eater
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- Figure 18: International food consumption frequency, by consumer segmentation, November 2018
- International cuisine consumption has declined slightly over last year
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- Figure 19: International food consumption – net any consumption, November 2017-November 2018
International Food Consumption Motivators and Barriers
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- Cravings drive most international food purchases
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- Figure 20: International food consumption motivators, November 2018
- Younger consumers are most likely to eat international foods because they like trying new things
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- Figure 21: International food consumption motivators, by age, November 2018
- Asians and Hispanics enjoy eating the foods of their ethnic heritages
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- Figure 22: International food consumption motivators, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- Lack of exposure is the top barrier to international cuisine consumption
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- Figure 23: barriers to International food consumption, November 2018
International Food Preferences
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- Mexican, Italian, and Chinese are the top international cuisines
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- Figure 24: International food preferences – any type of purchase NET, November 2018
- African cuisines remain unfamiliar to most consumers
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- Figure 25: International food preferences – any type of purchase NET, November 2018
- Consumers are most likely to purchase international cuisines from a restaurant
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- Figure 26: International food preferences – any cuisine type NET, November 2018
- Women especially prefer more traditional international cuisines
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- Figure 27: International food preferences – Any type of purchase NET, by gender, November 2018
- Latin and African are emerging cuisines
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- Figure 28: International food preferences – Any type of purchase NET, by age, November 2018
- Italian and Chinese food interest may eventually decline
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- Figure 29: International food preferences – Any type of purchase NET, by age, November 2018
- Consumers show elevated interest in cuisines of their ethnic heritage
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- Figure 30: International food preferences – Any type of purchase NET, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- White and Hispanic consumers are equally interested in Mexican cuisine
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- Figure 31: International food preferences – any type of purchase NET, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
International Food Retail Offerings
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- Meal kits are an appealing format for international flavors
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- Figure 32: International food retail offerings, November 2018
- Restaurant-branded international foods could help drive purchases among the youngest consumers
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- Figure 33: International food retail offerings, by age, November 2018
International Food Restaurant Offerings
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- Most consumers prioritize authenticity for international menu items
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- Figure 34: International food restaurant offerings, November 2018
- Moms want to see more international kids menu items
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- Figure 35: International food restaurant offerings, by gender, November 2018
- Younger consumers are most open to international fusion
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- Figure 36: International food restaurant offerings, by age, November 2018
- Most Hispanic consumers want to see international kids menu items
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- Figure 37: International food restaurant offerings, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- Frequent international food eaters care the most about eating foods from chefs of the same ethnic heritage
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- Figure 38: International food restaurant offerings, by international eater groups, November 2018
International Food Attitudes
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- Street foods are an appealing way to introduce international flavors to consumers
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- Figure 39: International food attitudes, November 2018
- Older consumers would much rather eat international foods at a restaurant than cook them
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- Figure 40: International food attitudes, by age, November 2018
- Asian consumers are most interested in international street foods
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- Figure 41: International food attitudes, by race and Hispanic origin, November 2018
- Roughly three fifths of moderate or occasional international food eaters would rather eat international foods at restaurants than at home
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- Figure 42: International food attitudes, by international eater groups, November 2018
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Mintel Food and Drink Shopper Segmentation
- Terms
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