The European market for ethnic foods now encompasses cuisines from all parts of the world, reports Jonathan Thomas.
Sales of ethnic foods continue to increase across much of the world, thereby driving up demand for ingredients such as herbs and spices. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global market was valued at USD76.7bn in 2022, a figure expected to increase to around USD81.6bn the following year. During the period leading up to 2030, annual growth is forecast to average around 7%, reaching a value of USD131.6bn.
Ethnic foods have become an established part of the diet for many consumers throughout Europe, challenging some of the more indigenous dishes. One of the main drivers behind the ongoing growth in demand for ethnic foods is exposure to foreign cuisine via international travel and tourism. As international travel has resumed in the post-pandemic world, consumers are now using food as a mechanism for exploring different cuisines and cultures.
Additionally, research carried out by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in the US found that consumers are increasingly opting for flavours offering physical, emotional and planetary benefits, which is also boosting demand for ethnic foods.
Oriental cuisine continues to account for a sizeable percentage of the European ethnic foods market, encompassing dishes from countries such as China, Japan and Thailand. Interest in the Asian region has widened in recent years to include flavours and dishes from countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam.
Additionally, the enduring popularity of Asian cuisine in many western markets has been aided by the growth of the street foods phenomenon. According to research carried out in September 2023 by Lantmännen Unibake, 86% of consumers surveyed consider Asian flavours to represent the next major trend as far as street foods and burgers are concerned.
Chinese is arguably the most popular ethnic food amongst European consumers. According to research carried out by YouGov, it is especially popular in the UK, France, Germany and Finland. Across parts of Europe, Chinese cuisine is undergoing something of a renaissance, with more consumers having come to appreciate the subtle differences between China’s regional dishes, such as the spicy flavours associated with recipes from Sichuan province compared with the milder Cantonese cuisine.
A new generation of Chinese foodservice outlets have begun opening in many European cities, moving away from the traditional favourites such as Chow Mein to offer more varied menus.
In a similar vein, Japanese cuisine is also growing in popularity, broadening out from its traditional base of sushi. The growth in demand for Japanese food is not confined to Europe – it is estimated, for example, that the number of Japanese restaurants located outside Japan has more than tripled over the last decade, reaching around 187,000 outlets in 2023. Around 16,500 of these are based in the European region. Growth within the market for Japanese foods has also been driven by the rising popularity of bento boxes, traditional Japanese lunchboxes which contain a compartmentalised single-portion meal.
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