INFORMATION: CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF FOODS

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INFORMATION to Top

ETHINIC FOOD INDUSTRY There is no doubt that there is a market place for ethnic foods. How does a company position themselves into this market? Brandt (1999[Brandt, L.A. 1999March. Ethnic flavors. Ride a heat wave. Prepared Foods 168(3): 41.]) reports that ethnic foods have a 6-7% growth a year. The ethnic food catagory is about 7% of the food industry or $49.35 billion. A food company that furnishes an ingredient used in a number of catagories of ethnicity has marketing advantages. Several primary catagories of ingredients which cross such a line on ethnicity are
  • increasing heat levels (chili and hot spices)
  • increasing authentic flavors/cuisine

Cuisine Catagories to Top

Distinctive Cuisines of the World (In Consuming Passions (Farb, P. and G. Armelagos. Consuming Passions. The Anthropology of Eating pp. 185.)
JAPANESE: soy sauce, saki, and sugar (sometimes also ginger root)
KOREAN: soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and sesame seeds
INDONESIAN: soy sauce, garlic, molasses, and peanuts
SZECHWAN: soy sauce, brandied wine, ginger root plus sugar for "sweet" dishes, vingar for "sour", peppers for "hot"
CANTON CHINESE: soy sauce, brandied wine, ginger root, peanut oil (sometimes also sugar and garlic)
INDIAN: a basic curry mixture containing garlic, cumin, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, and pepper (plus mustard seed, saffron, cloves, coconut, or vinegar, depending upon whether the particular dish is "sweet,""sour,"or "hot")
IRANIAN: yogurt with dill or mint
MIDDLE EASTERN: lemon, parsley, and garlic
GREEK: lemon and oregano (plus sometimes dill or cinnamon)
SOUTHERN ITALIAN AND SOUTHERN FRENCH: olive oil, tomato, and a mixture of herbs (thyme, basil, oregano, often with garlic)
FRENCH: butter, cream wine, chicken or meat stock (often with the addition of cheese, herbs, and mustard)
EAST EUROPEAN JEWISH: chicken or goose fat with onions
RUSSIAN AND SCANDIANAVIAN: sour cream with dill or caraway
CENTRAL AMERICAN: lime, chili peppers, and coriander (or garlic, scallion)
MEXICAN: tomato, chili peppers, and cumin

Conclusions to Top

The consumer market place is increasingly addressing each of these distinctive cuisines. A review of the trends in product development and consumer attitudes substantiates this.

However, food history and cultural aspects are more difficult to remain true to the facts. The study of the past does facilitate the industry in developing products of the future.

Updated: Sunday, June 1, 2008.

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