Published August 31, 2015

Americans Are Getting More Adventurous With Their Ethnic Dining Choices

While for many Americans, eating “adventurously” means putting a little extra hot sauce on their burrito or getting a third topping on their delivery pizza, there is a rising popularity among more global ethnic cuisines. This post from Nation’s Restaurant News highlights some of the results from a recent survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association that aimed to determine how aware Americans are of various ethnic cuisines from around the world, and how often they explore the adventurous side of their taste buds and actually eat said ethnic foods.

According to the survey, most Americans eat ethnic food at least once a month and have evolved their ethnic palates in recent years. While more traditional and widely accessible cuisines like Chinese, Italian and Mexican food are some of the most popular ethnic options eaten with regularity, there is a rising interest in other international offerings like sushi, Spanish tapas, Southeast Asian fare, and Belgian and French offerings. However, awareness of, and interest in, Korean food remains relatively low comparatively.

The big takeaway for restaurants? A number of survey respondents indicated that they would try an ethnic dish they were unfamiliar with at their favorite restaurant if it was on special. Time to update your menus!

Read the full article here: Report: Consumer Interest in Ethnic Cuisines Grows