Going Beyond the ‘Exotic Aisle’…

In the not-so-distant past, food from other cultures could be found either in specialist stores, or in a generic ‘ethnic food aisle’ in supermarkets, where choice was limited. Cuisines from other cultures were monolithic and homogenous – the rich diversity and tastes of Mexican cuisine were watered down to Old El Paso salsas, Asian food products were almost always depicted by red colour schemes and images of dragons, and any kind of regional specificity within a national cuisine was non-existent.

Engaging with food from other cultures almost always happened at arm’s reach and was associated with adhoc indulgence, not part of daily food routines- like Friday night Indian takeaways, or a cheeky Peri Peri chicken from Nando’s.

Experimenting with ‘ethnic foods’ and recreating them at home was associated with effort – the hassle of navigating complex ingredients and cooking methods, needing different tools, and overall, costly in time – why cook from scratch when you can find someone else who can do it better?

We are what we eat…but what if we don’t see ourselves represented in brands?

As younger generations become increasingly diverse (less than 50% of Gen Z and Alpha in the US are white), and as more and more live in third culture spaces, they don’t always see themselves, their multiple identities, or their rich cultural heritages, represented in mainstream brands on the shelves.

The backlash to this has been an explosion of boutique brands that bridge authentic food and cultural experiences. These are brands that shake off the dusty stereotypes of ethnic food; brands as bold in personality and as rich in storytelling, as they are in flavour. Consumers don’t want just to consume; they want to immerse themselves in the stories, personalities, and values surrounding products and brands.

While these brands are unique and nonconformist, collectively they respond to the call to feel seen, heard, and represented in the food we eat, with recognisable themes filtering across them:

PERSONALITY TO THE MAX

Bright colour schemes and immersive brand worlds demonstrate that food can be authentic, without feeling stuck in the past or traditional. This is all about reclaiming heritage and ethnic backgrounds through bold, vibrant brand storytelling.  Modern branding (labels, packaging, logos, color palettes) and rebellious founder stories put a twist on age-old flavours. 

RECLAIMING INGREDIENTS

Flavours can be used to make a sociocultural statement and there’s a growing use of food to galvanize conversations around questions of race, ethnicity, and inclusion. This is a reaction to commercialised cultural appropriation (food from other cultures mass produced with histories and legacies often erased in the process), and a taking back of ownership.

NEW BUYING MODELS, EXISTING OCCASIONS ELEVATED

Ethnic food becomes super aspirational- curated gift boxes, limited editions, and collaborations dial up exclusivity and desirability and allow for guided exploration. The focus on condiments and sauces in the new wave of ethnic food makes the integration of different flavours into existing food moments easy – swap your ketchup for chili crisp, or push it further by adding it to ice-cream!

TRANSPARENCY & AUTHENTICITY

With growing scrutiny on what brands stand for, there’s an expectation to see brands that are culturally engaged, brands that show transparency over supply chains, and brands that make continuous efforts to improve the lives, and environments of people where ingredients are sourced from.  Paying out more for ethically sourced ingredients gives consumers a boost, feeling they are making an impact through their food choices.

For brands (and especially global brands), there’s a call to action to not only get experimental with new flavours, textures, and formats, but to respond to consumers’ growing demand to feel, and see their multiplicities of identities being celebrated on the shelves.