Ethnic Foods and Peppers Trending
Ethnic Fusion or Mash-Ups Combine Flavors of Cultures
Of the top food trends, ethnic condiments and cuisine continue to grow in interest among chefs surveyed by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). According to the NRA study, 80% of consumers eat at least one ethnic cuisine per month. These cuisines include Italian, Mexican and Chinese as well as Ethiopian, Brazilian and Korean. African and Middle Eastern flavors are also increasing in popularity.
Ethnic Fusion or mash-ups combine the flavors of cultures to create a new and unique twist. Infusing proteins with techniques such as marinating, roasting, braising or smoking allow chefs to showcase bold flavors and pair them with ingredients and toppings from different cultures.
Ethnic condiments are low-risk ways to introduce the less adventurous eaters to ethnic foods. A quick look on Pinterest for “Ethnic Sauce” yields hundreds of suggestions from Chipotle Dipping Sauce to BBQ sauce from Cajun to Korean and everything in between.
Explore our Cook’s Delight® Soup Bases and Flavor Concentrates and learn how our soup bases can help you create better recipes and delight your customers. Learn more about soup base
Peppers in Ethnic Cuisine Continue to Play a Primary Role
Peppers continue to gain in popularity and appear in ethnic recipes such as marinades, sauces, dips, rubs, side dishes and more. Their use is limited only by the imagination, and the variety of peppers capturing interest continues to expand.
- For a milder palate, roasted red bell peppers provide sweetness, umami flavor and color to a dish. They can boost recipes for sauces, dips, dressings, soups and stews. You can also add to breads, stir-fries and chilies.
- Chipotle peppers are very popular on menus and can be found in a variety of ethnic dishes. A chipotle pepper is a smoke-dried jalapeno primarily used in Mexican and Mexican-inspired (fusion) dishes. The heat of a chipotle is similar to the Espelette pepper, jalapeno, Guajillo chili, Hungarian wax pepper and Anaheim peppers. Chipotles have heat and a distinctive smoky flavor. They can accompany beans or lentils, flavor BBQ and hot sauces, be used in braising liquid, in a salsa, dip or sauce; the list goes on.
Cook’s Delight® has an extensive line of soup bases and flavor concentrates that pair well with ethnic and ethnic fusion recipes, including:
Explore our foodservice recipes — use them or adapt them to meet your special dietary requirements and preferences.
