Ethnicity specificity

America’s love affair with global fare is nothing new; however, trending cuisines are emerging from specific regions and, in some cases, cities of the world, Ms. Williams said.

“It’s not just Indian food; it’s not just Southern Indian food; it’s Andhra Pradesh,” she said. “It’s all about really specific ethnic flavors.”

Ms. Dornblaser of Mintel shared recommendations for adopting global flavors in product development.

“Track where flavor trends started and how they expand geographically and by category to give you a sense of the strength of the trend itself,” she said. “Sometimes the tactic needs to be different depending on if you’re a small brand or a big brand. For a small company or niche brand, jump right in. The consumers you appeal to are a smaller group and a smaller sales target, so you can experiment with something new and different.