GET ON THE ESPRESSO EXPRESS

Nowadays, instead of asking if you would like some coffee, restaurant servers ask you if you’d like a cappuccino or an espresso.  And despite their ubiquity, Starbucks wasn’t the only trend to impact coffee-drinking habits in the US.
The nation’s largest minority group is making an impact on the basic cup o’ joe.

The U.S. Hispanic population, now a major socioeconomic and cultural force in the nation, is making its presence felt and influencing overall trends throughout the consumer marketplace.  A unique fact is that Latin American residents from South and Central American countries as well as from the Caribbean are virtually all espresso-lovers. Latinos drink espresso coffee at any time of the day. To most, the drinking of espresso is a valued social custom and every group has their own unique way of making coffee.

Cubans like to order “cortaditos,” a strong form of espresso, similar to the Italian espresso, but with a stronger Robusta bean used in the blend and in which sugar tends to be mixed into the pot well before it reaches the cup. Brazilians love their “cafezinho” which tends to be made from very finely ground Robusta blends and brewed like American coffee, although espresso forms are also used. For Colombians, the drink of choice is the “tinto,” a coffee much stronger than the American style, but with a coarser blend than the Cuban or the Brazilian espresso. (more…)

COOKING SUPPLIES SALES SIZZLE AS ECONOMY FIZZLES

Doral, FL ― It’s not surprising that most adults feel their financial situation is worse this year than last.  With overall economic uncertainty and food prices increasing at the fastest pace in 17 years, consumers are looking for value, trying to prepare meals at home, to use up leftovers and to stock up when items are on sale.  The economy may be pretty depressing but it’s not all bad news, especially for stores and businesses that sell pots, pans, gadgets and other cooking supplies.

“Before, you used to go to a restaurant.  That’s changing as people try to watch their pocketbooks more.  Tight economic times are sending folks back into the kitchen.  They’re entertaining and cooking more at home,” says Manny Gaunaurd, president of IMUSA, a Florida-based kitchenware and cookware company.

“Due to the fact that more people are cooking, they are buying more cooking tools.  For IMUSA, business is cookin’, because America is cooking more.”  IMUSA specializes in Latin cookware, but is crossing over into the Anglo market with affordable pricing and an aggressive promotional strategy. The strategy seems to be working because business is booming. “We’re close to virtually doubling sales this year compared to last year,” according to IMUSA vice president, Raul Corzo.

The convergence of two trends supports IMUSA’ s rosy sales forecast — a tight economy that is sending people back to the kitchen, and a new force in the kitchen as “Latino” weaves its way into all U.S. food and beverage categories. (more…)

BEYOND RICE AND BEANS, SUPERMARKETS SAY HOLA TO HISPANIC OFFERINGS

Doral, FL — Just like most Americans stir fry in their woks without giving a thought to “cooking Asian”, the Hispanic influence in the mainstream American kitchen is on the rise.  In virtually every supermarket category, shoppers can find offerings with a Hispanic flair, including Hispanic cookware, a relatively new and growing non-food category for supermarkets.

With 41 million Latinos living in the US, and Latin food and beverage sales projected to increase from $5.7 billion in 2006 to nearly $8.4 billion in 2011, Manuel Gaunaurd, president of IMUSA, a leading brand of Hispanic cookware, is not surprised in the dramatic increase in sales of cookware and tools to cook Latin fare.

“Suddenly a comal (a griddle pan), a caldero (a Dutch oven) and a tamalera (a stock pot and steamer primarily used for making tamales) are becoming mainstream,” says Gaunaurd.

Latin cooks tend to have an extensive collection of cookware, including pieces that might not be found in the typical American kitchen. As this trend in Hispanic foods and tradition expands, mainstream cooks who want to make authentic Hispanic cuisine part of their everyday cooking will be interested in a recent study of Hispanic cooking and cookware. (more…)

THIS MOTHER’S DAY, CELEBRATE THE NEWEST FORCE IN THE KITCHEN

Doral, FL, May 2008 – Salsa and hot sauce sales surpass ketchup. Tortillas enable the popular “wrap” sandwich. And avocados, mangos and cilantro can now be found in virtually every produce department.  There is a new force in the kitchen as “Hispanic” is weaving its way into all U.S. food and beverage categories.  The colossal impact of Hispanic culture also makes Mother’s Day an even more important holiday than ever before.  In the matriarchal Hispanic cultures, Mama is the energy behind the family, and cooking for her family, is the energy behind Mama.

While most American families share a special place in their heart for their mother’s home cooking, for Hispanic Americans, food has an emotional and cultural significance that extends beyond eating. There is nothing quite as compelling as the personal touch your mother puts into her cooking — “la sazon de mi mama.”  To that family, this is a personal, intimate signature, reminiscent of their mother’s soul and love.

The emergence of Hispanics as the largest minority group in the US, and its consequent culinary imprint is impacting what’s available in kitchen stores, on restaurant menus, and on dinner tables across the US with the same popular progression as the cuisines of Italians, Asians, and Middle-Easterners, did previously. (more…)