What's Driving Culinary Diversity?

America’s palate shift is being steered by younger consumers, influenced by their immigrant roots and multicultural peer groups. Pop culture and social media also play key roles, from K-pop and K-dramas (which are accelerating interest in Korean food) to the diverse TikTok creators expanding their followers’ culinary horizons.

Second-Wave Fusion

Kickstarting an evolution in American cuisine, a generation of ethnically diverse young chefs and entrepreneurs is rejecting the confines of tradition, remixing heritage-based recipes in ways that celebrate contemporary diasporas and hybrid influences. This is fuelling innovation and “pushing the boundaries of what ‘American’ means”, writes journalist Navneet Alang.

Flavour’s Globalised Refresh

Flavour forecasters are highlighting the growing influence of Latin American and Asian flavours on the American palate. For more from a cross-regional perspective, see Future Flavours Forecast: 24/25 and our 2022 report The New Global Palate.

Stocking the Multicultural Kitchen

As heritage-inspired CPG start-ups (some of which are reaping substantial investment) proliferate and supermarkets shift to reflect more globally minded palates, the American kitchen will adopt a more diverse character. This applies to cookware as well.

Dining-Out’s Expanding Landscape

As Mexican food becomes ingrained (as many as 11% of US-based restaurants serve it, according to Pew), American menus ranging from fine dining to fast casual are offering a broader-than-ever spectrum of cuisines. Asian (especially Korean) foods are quickly gaining ground, alongside cuisines with a lower profile, such as West African.