Making Ethnic Authentic

 Making Ethnic Authentic

September 1995 -- Design ElementsBy: Susheela Uhl
Contributing Editor

  Demand for ethnic foods is growing dramatically in the United States. While ethnic foods have been popular for years, an emerging consumer interest in the true flavors of traditional ethnic foods before their Americanization is fueling this growth.  To satisfy consumer demand for "authenticity," the food industry must learn how ethnic dishes should look and taste. In particular, we need to know the flavors, ingredients, preparation styles, and even the cultures of the traditional and newly emerging ethnic groups.Current and future trends  Two forces are behind the demand for authenticity: America is becoming more diverse, and Americans are becoming more culturally sophisticated. Demographic studies show a significant increase in ethnic populations and project even more dramatic growth for the future.  The increased presence of ethnic groups has, in turn, increased the exposure of Americans to other cultures, foods and flavors. Moreover, increased travel and improved trade and communication have given rise to a more sophisticated consumer.  One company that is successfully tapping this growing demand is Goya Foods, Secaucus, NJ. It is the largest Hispanic-owned company in the United States and is a commanding leader in the Northeast, with 60% to 80% market share in the Latino market there. It caters to the ethnic diversity of the Hispanic market, providing products from the various cuisines of many different countries, such as the Caribbean Islands, Spain, and Latin American countries. According to Karen Sperling, public relations representative for Goya Foods, the company also has been expanding into the mainstream market nationwide, capturing African Americans, West Indians, Asians and Europeans.Ethnic flavor today  Defining ethnic food is difficult. "Ethnic foods represent a complex, dynamic category," according to the National Restaurant Association, "In a multi-cultural society like the U.S., one tends to perceive more and more cuisines as ethnic." Also, over time, items that used to be distinctly ethnic, like tacos and pizza, have become part of the mainstream American diet.  While an exact definition of ethnic food may be difficult, three trends are clearly emerging. First, traditionally popular ethnic foods such as Mexican, Italian and Chinese are becoming more sophisticated through the use of regional-type cooking and ingredients. Second, new ethnic cuisines, such as Indian, Moroccan and Thai cuisines, are experiencing "hot" growth because they are rich in aromas and have strong taste profiles that are unique and varied. Third, ethnic fusion foods, which combine the flavors of different regions and cultures, are growing in popularity because they satisfy the American demand for variety and taste.  Within this area of ethnic fusion cuisine several further trends have been developing. First, traditional fusion cuisines, such as Creole or Southern cooking, have been becoming more complex and diverse. Second, traditional fusion cuisines are being joined by newly popular ones such as Mediterranean and Caribbean foods.  Third, as the popularity of fusion and regional ethnic flavors grows, new complex flavors will emerge. Ingredients or cooking styles of various ethnic groups will be combined to provide a unique flavor or dish, thus creating newer versions of mainstream products such as pizzas, salsas, pastas, stir fries or fried chicken. We may see a Thai lasagna, Mexican pizza, Japanese enchilada or Cajun dumpling.  More complex growth of these fusion flavors will continue into the 21st century. Americans will be eating ethnic foods that will have more sophisticated ethnic flavor profiles than previous generations. We will see unique combination flavors such as Java enetia, CreoMex or CubanThai. We also will see new regional cooking, based on the various ethnic populations living in each region of the United States.Making ethnic authentic  While walking down the numerous aisles of this year's Fancy Food Show in New York, attendees could see "authentic" salsa verde, "true" Thai peanut sauce, and "genuine" Oriental stir fry. What does all this mean to the American consumer?  According to the National Restaurant Association, there are three distinctly different segments of people in terms of how they relate to ethnic cuisines: the "culture oriented," "restaurant oriented," and "preparation oriented." The first group covers the sophisticated and adventuresome who enjoy new cuisines. The second group looks for good taste and good atmosphere. The last group represents those who like to prepare food at home using ethnic ingredients and cooking styles to create healthy foods with an authentic ethnic flair.  All of these consumers share one thing in common: They are looking for authenticity.  "Authenticity and quality of ingredients are important," says Harshed Parekh, president of Tamarind Tree Ltd., Mahwah, NJ. "Authenticity is not compromising on the ingredients or process of cooking but compromising on the amount of particular ingredients such as salt and chilies since there are differences in environment, climate and activity level of people between India and America."  When creating ethnic flavors or foods, the food industry faces a complex challenge. How do we develop true ethnic flavors? We must first understand what makes ethnic foods authentic. Four factors must be considered: 1) the nature and history of the region creating the cuisine; 2) the actual ingredients and spices used in the original product and how they were treated or processed before being added to the recipe; 3) the cooking processes used in the original version of the cuisine; and 4) how the food was originally presented and eaten.  By looking at these factors, we can understand how to create the authenticity we are seeking. We can understand why there is more than one mango flavor, sofrito or curry blend. When substituting ingredients for reasons of availability or cost, we must go back and consider what the original flavor entails.  Mexican cooking, for example, has been influenced by Mayans, Aztecs, Spanish, Lebanese, Germans, French, Mestizos, and even the Chinese, through ingredients and cooking styles brought by trade or conquest. The Spanish introduced sauteing, wheat, citrus fruits, onions, coriander and rice, and combined these with the local tomatoes, peanuts, corn and chilies. The French brought pastries, bread, and their style of cooking, while the Mennonites introduced cheese-making.  Mexico's flavors also vary among the country's geographical regions. In Northern Mexico, the food has milder flavors with cheeses, beans and beef, while the cuisine of the Northern Pacific coast is characterized by ceviches, pozoles and chile poblanos. The Gulf region shares the Creole culture of the Caribbean and New Orleans with the Spanish, resulting in the use of spicy sauces, coconut and seafood. In Central Mexico, with the old and new flavors, we find more fusion cooking, and in the Yucatan to the south, food is influenced by Cuba, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Lebanon, with their hot and spicy chiltomates, achiotes and habanero peppers.  "We have to make the distinction between Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican products," says Joseph A. Unanue, vice president of Goya Foods. "And we are more interested in authentic products. We are constantly traveling to Mexico, studying the market and learning about eating preferences that differ in the North and South."  Ingredients and spices and how they are treated or processed contributes uniqueness to ethnic foods. Spices and ingredients are readily available in the tropics, so over generations the locals have learned to use the different berries, barks, leaves, flowers, roots, buds and seeds that create their unique flavors. Each ingredient brings its own special color, flavor and texture to a recipe. Therefore, if we want to create truly authentic ethnic cuisine, we must either use the true original ingredients or substitute with care.  For example, with the popularity of spicier and hotter foods, there has been a demand for a variety of chili peppers from around the world within the last five years. Americans are discovering that chilies provide not only heat but flavor, color and texture. As with other ethnic ingredients, chilies vary greatly in their attributes. If a recipe calls for chili peppers, not any pepper will do. Some of the available chilies are aji dulce, strong sweet peppers used in Puerto Rican sofritos, mildly hot romesco peppers from the Catalan region of Spain, fiery hot aji amarillo from Peru, lombok peppers from Indonesia, and Scotch bonnets from the Caribbean Islands.  Other unique ingredients, spices, herbs and flavorings are also emerging because of the popularity of new ethnic cuisines. Fenugreek, cardamom, galangal, cilantro, nigella seeds, lemongrass, and asafetida are becoming better known. Herbs such as methi leaves, curry leaves, sorrel, shiso, sesame, and a variety of mint, basil, and lime leaves are emerging with the introduction of regional Caribbean and Asian foods.  To assure that authentic flavors are achieved in our ethnic products, we must understand how these ingredients are used and how they differ. For example, cilantro leaves used widely in Mexican and Asian cooking are different from the stronger, more pungent "culantro" or recuo leaves used in Puerto Rican flavor blends. Canela, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, which is used in Mexican cooking, is sweet and delicate, compared to the more pungent cassia (Chinese cinnamon) used in Asian and American cooking.  Savory flavorings add zest to sauces, marinades, soups, stews and condiments in ethnic cooking. These include fermented fish and shrimp pastes widely used in Southeast Asian cooking such as nuoc mam (Vietnam), nam pla (Thailand), blacan (Malaysia), trasi (Indonesia); as well as fermented soybean pastes such as miso used in Japanese dashi sauces and Korean sauces, dips and soups. Oyster sauce, black bean, seaweed, a variety of mushrooms, tubers and nuts will see great growth because of the sophistication of new Asian foods, such as Cantonese Chinese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Malaysian.  Considering the history of a food or ingredient may help fulfill the growing consumer demand for healthy foods. Ingredients were often used originally in ethnic cooking not only because of availability or convenience but for medicinal reasons, as well. The United States will see growth in nutraceuticals, or foods with medicinal and health benefits. Historically, many spices and herbs have offered health benefits but have lacked credibility and acceptance among health professionals. Nutritionists and others are exploring the therapeutic uses of spices and herbs. Thus, while spices and ingredients may not be established nutraceuticals, they can be promoted as potential nutraceuticals.  Indians, Koreans and Chinese have used certain spices and herbs in their cooking for healing, religious and prosperity reasons. With the increasing need for healthful foods, restaurants are serving products such as tong shui, a range of sweet, snack like tonics for invigorating specific parts of the body in order to balance the "yin and yang." Ginseng root is widely used in Korean chicken and vegetable dishes as an energy source. The Chinese believe that oysters symbolize good things and seaweed denotes prosperity. Indians believe that fenugreek reduces fevers and soothes intestinal inflammation; turmeric prevents liver disorders; and ginger aids digestion and improves blood circulation. Coriander is used for treatment of migraine and indigestion, and cinnamon is given with hot milk and honey to reduce common cold symptoms.  Newer ethnic foods will not only be using savory flavors, but sweet and pungent flavors, as well. Fruits and nectars, floral essences, tropical vegetables, roots, nuts, seeds, legumes, and aromatic leaves will become more popular as components of flavor blends.  Fruits have been traditionally used in Mediterranean, Caribbean and Asian cooking to create unique textures, colors and flavors. Mango, used fresh or dried (amchoor), has been used in Indian cooking for adding tartness and flavor to curries, while mandarin orange peels provide sweet and citrus notes in Chinese cooking. Sapote, carambola and guava are used in Caribbean Creole sauces; grapefruit and tomatilla in Mexican condiments; and passion fruit in Indonesian sambals.  Tropical vegetables such as pumpkin and chayote; legumes such as garbanzo, tavoor dhals, and black beans; and nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and gingko nuts will be used more in creating the regional ethnic cooking of Mexico, the Mediterranean and Asia.  Floral essence use dates from the Middle Ages, and they have been used ever since in Indian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Chinese and other Southeast Asian desserts, beverages and sauces. Rose petals, orange blossoms and elder flower were popular in European cooking. Elder flowers, which give a delicate lemony taste, were used to flavor rhubarb pies and other desserts, and can be used to flavor salads, fish or beverages. Papaya flowers are used in Indonesian salads; jasmine flowers in Sicilian cooking; and orange blossoms in Oaxacan flavors.  Cooking processes - such as steaming, smoking, frying, fermenting, pickling, grilling or braising of ingredients and foods-create authentic flavors to target particular markets. When chili peppers are dried, grilled or smoked, different flavors and colors arise. Moles of Mexico differ based on the different chilies and how they are treated for that unique mole color and flavor. The savory flavorings, such as the fermented fish and shrimp pastes, are fishy, foul and unacceptable before treatment, but after frying or "tumis-ing" they give forth a pungent, aromatic and acceptable flavor that adds zest to the sauces.  Spices such as cumin, coriander or nutmeg, when ground fresh, give a different flavor and color than the pre-ground spices that are provided by suppliers. For authentic spice flavors, some of the whole spices are roasted and then ground. Curry blends, masalas, kormas and sambals also vary depending upon how the spices and fermented pastes are treated before they are added to the blend. Some of the ground spices give more desirable flavors after roasting.  "The order of addition of ingredients is important in creating an authentic spice blend," says Parekh of Tamarind Tree. In making a curry dish, turmeric, ginger, garlic, mustard and chilies are added to the oil first; tomatoes and salt are added when the oil separates out. Spices such as fenugreek and saffron are added at the end to avoid bitterness.  During the cooking process, authentic flavorings are contributed by the leaves of plants and trees that are used in the preparation of foods. Daun pandan and banana leaves are used for steaming or grilling chicken, fish or rice; cassava and sesame leaves are used as stuffing for fish; and corn husks for steaming tamales. These leaves give unique flavor, color and texture to the foods during cooking.  Presentation of foods varies with cultures. Southeast Asian and Caribbean foods are elegantly presented with edible flowers and "sculptured" fruits and vegetables. Sandi Tang, marketing analyst for Tommy Tang's Thai Seasonings, Los Angeles, says, "People don't eat with just their mouths. In the beginning you eat with your eyes."  Eating styles affect the way foods are seasoned and prepared in various cultures. Textures, flavors and colors are greatly affected by how the food is eaten or served in a community. Is it sit down style; eaten with chopsticks, fingers or spoons; served on banana leaves, plates or eaten out of steamed corn husks? Are ingredients and condiments served as dips to add flavor to the main meal?  The Asians serve many dishes that, when mixed, contribute sweet, hot, pungent, sour and crunchy flavors to plain white rice and noodles. Pungent and spicy sauces, pickles and condiments containing freshly ground chilies, fruits, herbs, spices, seeds and nuts are served along with the prepared foods to add zest or heat to what Asian and Hispanic families eat.Researching authenticity  To create successful authentic ethnic products for the marketplace, we have to know our customers and their specific needs. The foundation for creating authenticity for our increasingly diverse population is understanding the true nature of our diversity. The major ethnic groups differ not only from one another but also within each special ethnic segment. This diversity is based on country of origin, linguistic and socio-cultural adaptation to the United States. For example, the "Hispanic" category includes not only Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans and Dominicans, but also Spanish speaking people from other Caribbean Islands, Central and South America, and Spain.  Moreover, there are significant differences between the preferences and buying patterns of Americans of various Hispanic origins. Goya Foods responds to this sensitivity in the marketplace. It has a line of authentic Mexican products developed to specifications for the growing Mexican population throughout the country, such as chile pasilla, hoja tamal (dried corn husk), crushed tomatillas, red chili sauce, menudo and nopalitos.  We must also consider generational differences when developing or marketing ethnic foods. The first- and second generation immigrants will have eating patterns and buying behaviors that are different from the third and fourth generations who have adjusted to a new culture and language. Goya Foods has convenience foods that preserve the traditional savor of regional favorites for descendants of the Hispanic immigrants who have become more mainstream. Later generations will more likely be looking for more complex flavors from regional ethnic foods.  How do we learn about different cultures in order to create authentic products either for these communities or mainstream Americans looking for authentic flavors? First, take an interest in other cultures, their eating habits, festivities, religious practices, what they serve during their ethnic holidays and how they celebrate them. Your local newspapers, chamber of commerce and business organizations are aware of local food fairs that can be so rewarding.  We also need to develop some culinary skills in addition to our product development, marketing or sales skills. Besides being technically proficient, food technologists can explore their creative side. Experiment with new ethnic recipes and ingredients in your own kitchen. When eating, be adventuresome and seek out restaurants that serve new and unfamiliar foods. If you travel overseas on vacation or business, try to eat what the locals eat. Ask questions regarding local culture, foods, food preparation, and if local foods have been modified to suit Western tastes. Be aware of traditional and current cooking styles, balancing some of the ingredients and techniques to create the unique complex flavors that we demand today. Read food magazines, cookbooks, and watch chefs on TV. Participate in speciality food fairs and any gourmet trade shows.  Another way to learn authenticity is to use your own in-house expertise. Seek out your colleagues or staff who are Hispanic, Asian, Italian or from the Caribbean, or others who have lived in other parts of the world. People in your firm who have knowledge of other cultures, foods, or social values can be used as tools for your products' success. Make full use of your multi-disciplinary work force for developing ethnically oriented products. Consult with experts in ethnic foods and cultures by attending seminars or by having experts conduct in-house presentations or projects with the staff. This will educate those in product development, marketing, consumer relations and sales so they may better understand the logistics of creating authenticity in ethnic foods.  Finally, when developing and marketing a new product or spice blend, whether it be for the ethnic market or the mainstream consumer, conduct a little research on the ethnic group where the food originates, what ingredients go into the food, how it is prepared, and when and how it is eaten.  "We won't enter new markets until we have developed quality, authentic products the consumers there can identify with, says Unuane of Goya Foods. "What my grandfather did was to provide products that the Hispanic consumers were familiar with to represent a way of saying, 'Welcome to the United States.'"  Be current in your knowledge regarding "true" ingredients, spices or herbs used in ethnic spice blends by visiting neighborhood ethnic stores. Get familiar with unfamiliar ingredients by feeling, tasting, smelling and asking questions. Then look at the availability of the ingredients. When creating a flavor or food, duplicate the overall flavor with the right ingredients and cooking methods by using culinary expertise or original recipes. Kurt Abei, director of culinary product development at McCormick & Co., Sparks, MD, researches authenticity by obtaining the product from the home country then duplicating it. Then he creates a similar flavor or mainstreams it.  If substitution is required, look at the whole flavor profile of the ingredient, including its treatment, its profile in the finished product, and to whom it is targeted in United States or globally. Never substitute unless it is essential.  Susheela Uhl is the founder of Horizons, a Mamaroneck, NY food and seasoning consulting firm. She travels the world to study the flavors and cultural origins of cuisines, spices and herbs. Back to top