These days, talk of food trends invariably turns south — as in Argentina, Brazil and Peru. South American cuisine is on nearly everyone’s list of the hottest foods to watch, with the region’s produce gaining particular attention.
In early 2013, Chicago-based research and consulting firm Technomic called South America “the next frontier.” Restaurant-goers who’ve long favoured Mexican food will be seeking out new Latin flavour experiences from countries like Brazil and Argentina, the firm predicted.
South American fruits and vegetables are unmistakably at the heart of this heightened interest in Latin flavours. NBCLatino, which reported “6 Latin Food Trends for 2013,” says people will be savouring the sour flavours of passion fruit, tamarind and lime. It also sees health-conscious younger Hispanics looking for traditional superfoods like nopales (a dish made from prickly pear) and chayote squash.
The nation’s love affair with fusion food, as well as a growing ethnic population, is also bringing more South American flavours and produce to the table.
The Coral Gables, Florida-based produce importer recently introduced a programme for its Tropicals line that’s designed to help retailers capture the growing ethnic market. Turbana cites recent Nielsen data indicating that the U.S. Hispanic and Asian populations increased 47.3 percent and 51 percent, respectively, between 2000 and 2012. Nielsen expects that increase to triple by 2050.
To help retailers capture the home-cooking consumer’s buying power, Turbana is offering a mobile application that allows retailers to log in to learn more about ethnic tropical produce, as well as the demographics for each of its market areas. Certain items in Turbana’s tropical line, which include yucca, chayote, eddoes, batata, malanga lila, calabaza, yellow yam, dry coconut, ñame, aloe vera, malanga coco and malanga blanca, will also feature QR codes linking to creative recipes.
As an independent upscale grocer, West Point Market, in Akron, Ohio, is well versed in exotic produce and gourmet ingredients. But when the economy took a nosedive, so did its customers’ willingness to pay more for, say, cherimoyas versus cherries.
Exotics aside, West Point is selling 50 percent to 60 percent more South American fruit than five years ago, estimates Lukens. Grapes, apples, pears, citrus, bananas and cherries from South America are all strong sellers for the grocer. Grapes are West Point’s most significant South American product.
It’s no secret that avocados have experienced explosive growth in the past decade. According to the Hass Avocado Board, in Irvine, California, Hass avocados — which represent more than 94 percent of the U.S. avocado market — accounted for $1.4 billion in 2012 retail dollars.
Unprecedented demand for this lusciously textured fruit has caught the attention of Peru, which just happens to cultivate Hass avocados. “The U.S. market is growing from all suppliers cementing consumption of avocados. In some months, demand is higher than supply,” says Xavier Equihua, CEO of the Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC).
Washington, D.C.-based PAC made its foray into the U.S. avocado market with the “Monumental Taste” campaign in 2012, and is planning to increase its market presence substantially in 2014.
The campaign included demos at more than half of Costco’s locations, promotions with Stop & Shop and Giant, and radio tags with Walmart, the last of which represented a first for the avocado category, notes Equihua.
