American-Latino Immigrants Proudly Assisting the Community

from The Columbus Dispatch:

 

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Candice Choi
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chipotle cheddar. Dulce de leche Oreos. Lime-flavored beer.

Having long ago discovered the nation's enormous appetite for Latin cuisine, food manufacturers are infusing more American staples with Hispanic flavors.

Companies have found that Latin-inspired foods not only resonate with Latinos - the nation's largest minority - but also appeal to mainstream consumers looking for new flavors.

"Latin flavors are hot, and they're hot across all market segments," said Bill Briwa, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America.

Today, companies such as Sargento Foods are launching chipotle-seasoned cheddar. Kraft, whose iconic Oreo cookies already come in dulce de leche (a caramellike flavor popular in South America), is rolling out a Fresa (strawberry) version. Wrigley's Orbit chewing gum comes in a mint-mojito flavor.

"Hispanic cuisine has really taken off and become part of Americana," said Chris Groom, a spokesman for Sargento.

"One of the goals behind (chipotle cheddar) was to create something that appealed not just to the Hispanic market but resonated with the mainstream."

The company's market research indicated that Hispanic flavors excel at that. Sargento found that the number of chipotle-flavored menu items at restaurant chains had tripled to 2,800 from 2004 to 2005.

The challenge for Hispanic flavors, Briwa said, has been to shake off the low-budget image that Mexican food acquired many years ago - which is why, he said, the use of Latin flavors, more than entire dishes or menus, is soaring.

As Hispanic flavors enter the market, Americans across ethnic lines have adapted them. Tortillas, for example, come in spinach and sun-dried tomato - varieties a cook from South America might not recognize.

"Few things make it into the mainstream intact," said Susan Mitchell, senior research analyst at market-research company Mintel International.

The trend has surprised some companies. Pierre's ice cream, based in Cleveland, didn't expect its pineapple, coconut and margarita flavors to be as popular among mainstream shoppers as with Latinos.

So now the company is launching its "Hola Fruta" sherbets nationally in flavors such as margarita and pina colada and expects the products to reach across ethnic lines, said company spokeswoman Laura Hindulak.

"We feel consumers' tastes have become a bit more adventurous."

Whereas tacos and fajitas might have been exotic a few decades ago, Americans now want lesser-known dishes and flavors - such as mole sauce, which incorporates chocolate and a variety of spices, said Michael Sansolo, a spokesman for the Food Marketing Institute.

The Hispanic influence also is apparent at bars. Miller Brewing Co. is introducing a lime-andsalt flavored beer modeled after a popular style of Mexican beer called chelada. The drink will be test-marketed in the South and Southwest with hopes of expanding it nationwide.

The new brand is a continuation of the company's strategy of tapping South American culture. In January, Miller began importing Colombia's leading lager, Aguila. It also is bringing in two beers from Peru, with distribution focused on communities with large South American populations.

"Manufacturers always have their ears open to anything new, because America is addicted to things that are new and different. If something comes along, and it takes hold, it's an opportunity to expand your product line," said Walter Heller, a grocery-industry consultant and former research director of Progressive Grocer magazine.

The Latino influence also can be charted in the growing popularity of ultrasweet, fruity flavors such as lemon-lime, mango, pineapple and cherry, said Yolanda Angulo, Kraft's director of multicultural marketing. Those flavors were traditionally identified with South American markets but are finding a new audience in the U.S. mainstream.

"If you're looking to refresh the market and capture the Hispanic market, now you can do that (all) at once," Mitchell said.

"The 'Hispanic food aisle' seems like an antiquated concept."