The relatively newer trend of regional Hispanic snacks is poised for growth as a result of rising interest in authentic ethnic foods, snacking and transparency. As diners increasingly demand to know the influences behind the foods they’re eating, and request more varied Latin foods and flavors, regional Hispanic snacks will further gain ground at restaurants.
Here are a few interesting data findings:
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After Hispanics, Asian consumers (56%) most find Hispanic snacks appealing, while Caucasians (38%) are the least likely to find these types of snacks craveable.
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Significantly more millennials (63%) than any other generation find regional Hispanic snacks enticing; the next highest generational skew is Gen Xers at 49%.
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More men (49%) than women (43%) think these types of snacks are alluring.
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Regional Hispanic snacks interest Westerners (51%) more than those in any other region.
While it’s not staggering that millennials are more likely than any other generation to consider ordering these types of snacks during all times of the day, there are some interesting demographic variances between Gen Zers and Gen Xers. Gen Zers (those born between 1993 and 1999) are more likely to find regional Hispanic snacks appealing during the morning and late-night hours, while Gen Xers (born between 1966 and 1976) prefer to eat these types of snacks during the afternoon and evening. Further, Gen Xers (48%) are much more likely than Gen Zers (37%) to consider swapping in a regional Hispanic snack as a meal replacement.
However, there are a number of more exotic regional Hispanic snacks that consumers still find appealing based on their descriptors. For example, half of consumers find Venezuelan arepas (50%) and Salvadoran pupusas (52%) enticing. Arepas are cornbased dough sandwiches often filled with meat, veggies, cheese and sauce, and pupusas are thick corn tortillas stuffed with a savory filling. Because both arepas and pupusas have ingredients that most American consumers are familiar with, operators should consider menuing these items with more detailed descriptions so they don’t seem so foreign to diners.
Tips for Selling Regional Hispanic Snacks
Some regional Hispanic snacks may be a tougher sell because of their foreignness, but operators should consider certain valuable facets that this snack subset has to offer when determining if or how to menu these products. Operators should take advantage of:
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THE UNKNOWN
The stat: More than half of consumers (55%)—including 63% of Gen Zers and millennials—are more likely to try new or unique flavors in a snack than as a full meal. The conclusion: Because the flavors and ingredients in many regional Hispanic dishes are unfamiliar to many consumers, operators should promote these items as snacks instead of full meals.
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THE HEAT
The stat: More than two-fifths of consumers (44%) seek out spicy snacks, including 56% of millennials and 53% of Gen Zers. The conclusion: Showcasing snacks with hot ingredients that are prominent in regional Latin cookery, such as jalapeños and habaneros, is one way to appeal to younger diners in particular.
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THE STREET FOOD-STYLE
The stat: More than three-fifths of consumers (62%) like to eat snacks on the go, including 73% of millennials, 72% of Gen Zers and 70% of Gen Xers. The conclusion: Street foods are hot right now, and many are easily translatable as on-the-go snacks. Operators should promote items like churros and elotes as highly portable snacks.
Here are a few ingredients proliferating in independent restaurants and emerging chains to consider featuring in snack foods.
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Ingredient |
What It Is |
How to Feature it In Snacks |
|
Curtido |
Salvadoran cabbage-based relish |
In fish tacos or arepas |
|
Huitlacoche |
Mexican corn fungus |
Fills quesadillas or other tortilla-based snacks |
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Pikliz |
Haitian condiment of pickled cabbage, carrots and peppers |
Tops empanadas or fritters |
|
Tepache |
Central Mexican fermented beverage made from the peel and rind of pineapples |
Served chilled by itself alongside aguas frescas |
3 Areas of Opportunity for Regional Hispanic Snacks
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“Snackify” a Hispanic Entree
Downsizing traditional Latin main dishes into smaller snack sizes is one way to appeal to those who want to see more regional Hispanic snacks on menus. Mini tacos, empanadas or tortas are such dishes that can easily be taken on the go or shared at a table among friends or family.
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Don’t Discount Beverages
Operators who want to test adding regional Hispanic snacks to their menus may want to start with a beverage. Consumers are more apt to try something they have never heard of if it is simply a beverage because it’s more inexpensive and less of a risk than food. Operators can promote a fruity agua fresca, for example, as a perfect between-meal snack to cool down with during summer months. And it’s simple to create in-house—just combine any fruit with water, or even jam to amp up the flavor.
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Transparency is Key
Consumers now more than ever want to know exactly where their food is coming from. Thus, calling out something as a “Salvadoran pupusa” instead of just a “pupusa,” for example, will help consumers understand the influences behind the food they’re eating. In addition, describing and/or photographing the items on the menu are keys to transparency.
