ARLINGTON, VA – A newly published report analyzed America’s favorite cuisines and found that Latin American and Tex-Mex, followed by Asian food – all that feature rice as a primary ingredient – have knocked longtime favorite, Italian food, out of the top spot.
The report,
Menu MVPS: Top Dishes at Major Chains, from Datassential, a food and beverage research firm, indicates increased opportunities for rice across the foodservice landscape. Dataessential analyzed 4,500 new menu items released at major restaurant chains last year and found that U.S. consumers are craving spicy foods and Latin-inspired ingredients and dishes.
Researchers attribute this preference to changing demographics in population and generational differences in eating patterns, and predict the new consumer preference will continue to impact menu offerings in 2023. Both Millennials (born between 1981-1996) and Gen Z (born between 1997-2013) were highlighted as the catalysts of the major change in Americans preferred cuisine.
“Millennials are the first generation to actually prefer Mexican cuisine over Italian and now Gen Z is the first generation to prefer both Mexican and Chinese cuisine over Italian,” said Mike Kostyo, a Datassential trendologist who analyzed the 2022 menus.
USA Rice’s
Rice Eating Occasions Report shows Millennials to be the largest consumers of rice representing 35 percent of all rice eating opportunities, and Gen Z continuing to steadily increase its rice consumption as this demographic group grows up.
“Essentially what we are seeing here are demographic changes resulting in shifts away from traditional childhood favorites and adult comfort food to new consumer preferences,” said Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice senior director of domestic promotion. “The changing consumer palate toward rice-centric cuisines is obviously a positive for the industry, and rice usage should grow even stronger as these groups continue to age and increase their purchasing power.”