CHICAGO -- Mexican foods are present at local independents and chain restaurants across the United States, and the continued proliferation of Mexican foods on menus indicates innovation across the foodservice category, according to Mintel.
Already the second-most “menued” international cuisine behind Italian, Mexican cuisine grew 5% on menus from second-quarter 2012 to second-quarter 2015, led by a 22% growth in incidences of tacos. This healthy increase comes on the heels of rapid menu growth from first-quarter 2009 to first-quarter 2012 (10%). In comparison, Italian cuisine decreased by 4% on menus over the same span, despite growing 8% from first-quarter 2009 to first-quarter 2012.
Half of consumers (50%) show interest in Mexican foods, compared to 43% that are interested in Contemporary American and 39% interested in Southern U.S. options. Another 61% agree that they enjoy eating spicy items and dishes on menus, leading to impressive growth of menu incidences of chipotle peppers (33%), habanero peppers (32%) and jalapenos (20%) from second-quarter 2012 to second-quarter 2015.
Avocados also grew significantly, seeing a 20% increase in menu incidence over the same time span.
“Mexican foods have become so common in the U.S. that certain Mexican ingredients have seemingly lost their ethnic connotation,” said Caleb Bryant, foodservice analyst at Mintel. “Such is the case with avocados, which were a hot ingredient on U.S. menus in 2014 and 2015 due to their versatility and superfood status.”
He added, “As more Americans become familiar and comfortable with Mexican foods, this ethnic cuisine will continue to emerge and could usher people toward more unfamiliar South American dishes. We are also seeing very interesting international mashups of familiar Mexican foods such as the Korean taco or a banh mi burrito. These mashups are a way to showcase unfamiliar flavors on a familiar platform, allowing restaurants the opportunity to expand menu offerings that appeal to a wide range of consumers.”
London and Chicago-based Mintel is a leading market intelligence agency.
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