Taste Tourism Meets Cultural Appropriation

The concept of taste tourism and indulgent escapism was front and center at this year’s IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo in Chicago. Recipes ranged from the sweet desserts of the Balkans to the sweltering kitchens of Southeast Asia. But while it’s important to see more diverse and nuanced flavors reach mainstream kitchens, the question is – are these flavors, much like the countries they come from, being exoticized by Western culture? And perhaps more importantly – is due credit being given to the communities from which these “new” flavors originated?

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As global culinary boundaries continue to blur, so do the flavors which permeate our everyday gastronomic endeavors. In our sparks & honey Daily Culture Briefing on Fringe Flavors and Ingredients, our strategists discussed the new international flavors making up our ever- expanding palette – from gojuchang to umeboshi. 

Even brands like Trader Joe’s have come under fire for appropriating different cultures – with certain products bearing the moniker of “Trader José’s” or “Trader Mings”. The company recently got rid of such labels in response to a petition which argued that “the labels exploit a narrative of exoticism that perpetuates harmful stereotypes.” 

As a result, smaller brands can often find themselves restricted when it comes to their positioning. They’re usually left with two choices: either making regionally specific products that end up secluded in the ethnic grocery aisle with historically low foot traffic, or appealing to white audiences by diluting their brand to appear and taste more mainstream. “Factoring in heritage branding has the added risk of further alienating that audience,” says Trina Chan, cofounder of vegan nootropic gummy company No. 8.

The key for brands looking to include more global flavors, in a culturally competent way, is to make sure they’re involving, crediting and paying the communities involved. Briefing guest Analisa Winther, Advisory Board member and Host of the Nordic FoodTech Podcast, emphasized, “That story of authenticity and of who is actually producing this product is very important. If big brands are going to enter the space, the key factor is to make sure that they’re working with the communities themselves.”

Watch the takeaways from the Fringe Flavors Culture Briefing here:

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