For many, plain olive oil will not suffice, as the preference is extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany. That is just the beginning of the focus demanded by more consumers. Today, consumers are seeking foods from individual countries - Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam. Those definitions have also led consumers to seek authentic ingredients for their homemade meals. Products like curry powder can be mixed in Canada, but the formula for blending the mixture is not what people are used to.
People come in asking for a certain brand, because that's the taste they're used to.
Familiarity Braeeds Contentment Reasons for the growing diversity in ethnic cuisines are as varied as the foods themselves. The popularity of Indian food serves as an example of the power immigration is wielding in restaurants and grocery aisles. Caribbean cuisine has also seen its popularity grow in recent years. Not coincidentally, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti were among the top 11 countries of origin for immigrants in 1998, according to INS numbers. Statistics show more than 394,000 Caribbean immigrants entered the U.S. between 1995 and 1998.