Bringing Ethnic Flavors to QSRs

Fast food is as American as apple pie. Or is it? At first glance, peering up at the menu board in line at almost any fast-food chain, global and ethnic influences probably won’t jump right out at you. Many consumers never venture past burgers, french fries and sodas.

But dig just a little deeper, and you might be surprised. A whole world of subtle—and not-so-subtle—ethnic influences is cropping up on quick-service restaurant (QSR) menus.

Worldwide innovation

Ethnic influences are rather subtle at McDonald’s, but they’re present nonetheless. Dan Coudraut, director of culinary innovation, McDonald’s Corporation, Oak Brook, IL, explains that to add an item to the menu, “the ingredient and concept must make sense and be familiar and relevant to our customer. They are gauging value—and especially don’t want anything too polarizing.”

One recent example of an ingredient that did not make it, but the overall concept did, is when they tried toasted pumpkin seeds on the Southwest Salad. Consumers “didn’t know what they were ... it was too much of a stretch,” Coudraut concedes. The salad features cilantro-chili tortilla chips, a blend of poblano peppers, roasted tomatoes, fire-roasted corn, black beans and cilantro-lime chicken. Other globally influenced McDonald’s menu items launched domestically include the Asian Salad, featuring orange-glazed chicken, snow peas, edamame, mandarin oranges, greens and toasted almonds served with low-fat sesame-ginger dressing, and the Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap, with its smoky, sweet sauce.

Do these “global” ideas also work in other countries? “We have to flex with the market,” says Coudraut. “Take the snack wrap. The beauty of it is that it can morph into any region’s flavor profile. While the United States might appreciate honey mustard, chipotle barbecue or ranch as a dipping sauce, in Japan miso is perfect.” Likewise, while the tortilla is mainstream here, he notes, “in Germany it’s considered innovative.”

American ethnic fare

Many ethnic concepts require Americanization to make it in QSR. “We have identified ethnic solutions that are viable and that consumers are actively seeking,” says Christian “Kit” Kiefer, corporate executive chef and director of culinary services, Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., Marshall, MN. “We have discovered through testing that it is an American ethnic that they are looking for. Unlike fine dining, where customers may want steep Asian flavors such as fish sauce and cumin seed, while studying specific demographic trends in multi-unit chains, whether fried chicken or burger, we learned that most consumers want to dip their toes in to test the waters. What we have done in response is taken ethnic platforms and/or vehicles, such as a carrier or sauce, and marry it with American flavors we know consumers are interested in.”

Recent items developed by Schwan’s for QSRs include Caramel Apple Bites (apple-pie filling and caramel rolled in a pot sticker wrapper, then breaded and fried) and a bacon-cheeseburger-stuffed egg roll. Though they have ingredients with worldly origins, the products are not marketed as such.

A recent peek at the Jack in the Box menu revealed several global options, including traditional egg rolls (with cabbage, carrot shreds, onion, celery and pork), tacos, a couple of chicken “fajita pitas” and stuffed jalapeños.

Universal trend tracking

“In today’s culture, ethnic eating is becoming increasingly difficult to define.... Once considered exotic, risotto, hummus, green tea and chipotle chiles are now commonplace,” writes Eleanor Hanson, cofounder, FoodWatch, Edina, MN, in the Feb. 2007 issue of the company’s newsletter. “Furthermore, ethnic fusion has spawned many unlikely pairings: Tex Mex egg rolls, mango tandoori chicken pizza, and Parmesan-crusted Sicilian quesadillas, to name a few. One of the new trends we have been watching is the West Coast independent QSR chains. Many of them are featuring global street food and they are moving into our economy and our culture.”

Some cutting-edge ethnic street foods currently seen in independent one-off or small, regional fast-food operations include noodle dishes (soba, ramen, pad Thai), soy sauce–based dipping sauces and marinades, kebobs and satay, chaat (various savory Southeast Asian snacks), hummus, baba ghanouj, empanadas, and pho.

Hanson suggests we be on the lookout for portable Indian and vegetarian food, as well as Vietnamese bánh mì, a sandwich typically with pickled carrots and daikon radish, onions, cilantro, cucumber and meat, such as pork, chicken or meatballs, often dressed with Asian-style chili sauce, like sriracha. She says Southeast Asian ingredients, such as lemongrass, wasabi, hoisin, miso, cilantro and coriander, ponzu, and ginger, are becoming popular.