What used to be considered “ethnic food” — dishes like hummus, pad thai, pho and tamales — have become commonplace. Consumers are learning how to make authentic versions of these dishes at home, thanks to 24/7 food television, social media and cooking classes at their nearby kitchenware retailer.
What consumers are cooking at home — and how they cook at home — has changed.
Seventy-five percent of American foodies, those coveted consumers who are passionate about food and actively share their discoveries and creations on social media, cook at home more than twice a week, according to Sopexa’s 2015 Foodie Study, which studied foodies around the world. Ninety-four percent of American foodies are increasingly fond of world cuisines, stated the research; the top 10 favorites are Italian, Mexican, Spanish, French, Chinese, Greek, Thai, Japanese, Indian and Moroccan.
Swiss Diamond’s new Prestige Clad cookware line includes a wok.
Foodies’ increasing awareness and exposure to authentic dishes is good news to retailers of specialty cookware and related tools.
“When a recipe calls for an herb, people go out and buy it. When a recipe calls for a specific piece of cookware, they used to say, ‘I’ll make it in that pan,'” says KC Lapiana who owns In the Kitchen in Pittsburgh. “They’re now realizing there are pans out there that could help.
“Paella pans, woks, a 13-inch fry pan — they’re all completely different cooking vessels,” she says.
As The Gourmet Retailer reported in the June/July issue’s Cookware Report, independent kitchenware retailers are mostly selling open-stock cookware, including In the Kitchen. Lapiana and her staff are helping their customers choose the right pan for the task. “We want to make sure they’re buying a pan for what they cook,” she says.
It used to be that In the Kitchen’s staff had to question the customer about how he/she cooks and what piece of cookware would be best.
Lapiana, who also own HTI Buying Group, has noticed a shift: Customers are much more educated, and these days they come in talking about what they cook. “They’re clearly cooking things that require specialty cookware,” she says. “Now they’re telling me what kind of pan they need.”
When it comes to making the sale, cookware “has to fit the need,” adds Laura Havlek, who co-owns the gourmet store The Sign of the Bear in Sonoma, Calif., with her husband Stephen.
Customers at Sign of the Bear are looking for: function, user-friendly handle(s) and price. “People are coming in with a function in mind. If the piece fits it, they’ll buy it,” Stephen adds.
During their 25 years in business, the Havleks have seen cookware trends come and go. “The aluminum worries have gone way. Period. Where people were worried about nonstick — that’s gone away too,” says Stephen. “People are more focused on the quality of their food and where their food is coming from.”
Healthy Home Cooked
Joe Derochowski, home industry analyst for The NPD Group, says there are a number of factors at play. One: people are eating more at home, and two: consumers, especially those 25-40 and those 50+ are interested more in health and wellness, he says.
“People are cooking more home-cooked meals,” says Derochowski, who has studied how people eat for more than 18 years.
And they’re creating healthy meals. “They are wanting more vegetables, more protein, and there’s the desire to have one-pot meals,” he says. “This all will continue to grow. Is it Asian because it is cooked in wok? Is it a stir-fry? That’s the question.”
How these home-cooked meals are classified may keep researchers such as Derochowski up at night, but one thing is for certain, “now vs. 10-15 years ago there’s more commonality” in the dishes we all eat, he says. Take for example Mexican foods, or for that matter, Italian or Asian. Many of these cuisines are now part of the American diet, he points out.
Cookware sales, including fry pans and woks, are up 5.6 percent this year, while rice cooker sales, a staple in Asian cooking, have increased 13 percent in the past 12 months, Derochowski says.
Hold the Buns
Imusa USA is among the cookware manufacturers selling more of its specialty cookware pieces such as woks. Raul Corzo, president, has seen an increased interest in cooking authentic Asian meals at home and consumers are buying the tools and ingredients to do so. “Asian cooking is growing,” says Corzo. His larger retailer customers say that their scan data indicates “many ingredients for Asian cooking are selling more than hamburger buns.”
A recent addition to the Imusa lineup under the Global Kitchen brand is the light cast iron wok, which is available in two sizes: 12- and 14-inches. It “has been very well received” since its initial launch last year at Fred Meyers, he says. Imusa includes recipes with all of its Global Kitchen items, which include cookware and kitchen prep items for Asian and Latin cooking.
“When we look at the point-of-sale data at retail, consumers are buying the wok with the bamboo cooking utensils and other items — and the food to go with it,” says Corzo.
Web Browning, director of sales, Swiss Made Brands USA, the firm that represents Swiss Diamond International in the U.S., also sees specialty stores stocking more open stock specialty cookware. “People are investing in better quality products that will last longer,” he says. “Ethnic cooking is still trending up, so … specialty pieces like woks are selling.”
Head of the Class
At The Happy Cook in Charlottesville, Va., Monique Moshier, owner, is observing her clientele’s piquing interest in exotic flavors and cooking different world cuisines. Located near the University of Virginia, the store’s clientele tends to be well educated, health-conscious and interested in learning recipes from other parts of the world.
The kitchenware store offers a robust cooking class schedule, and there’s a “huge interest” in Asian cooking classes — Bengali, Indian, Japanese and Thai — but that interest hasn’t transferred yet into equipment and specialty cookware sales. Not yet. “I wonder if that is the next phase,” adds Moshier.
At In the Kitchen, Lapiana witnessed the same trend evolve in her store. In the Kitchen’s customers have been buying more specialty ingredients and tools — and are now seeking out the specialty cookware pans needed for specific dishes, she observes.
During the summer, the Pittsburgh store doubled its section of ethnic cookware, expanding it to a 16-foot set. “We have ethnic cookware and utensils of all types,” says Lapiana. The area is stocked with comales, clay vessels used in Latin American slow cooking; tamale pans; and tagines for Moroccan cooking. Tomago, or Tamagoyaki pans — rectangular pans most used to create Japanese rolled omelettes — were also added to the mix. “We are just trying to find as many unusual pans as possible,” she adds. “We’re just looking everywhere and bringing it in and seeing how people react.”
For some retailers such as Toque Blanche, selling woks, authentic Asian ceramics and other tabletop items is nothing new. The kitchenware retailer, which operates two stores — one in Half Moon Bay and one in Santa Cruz, Calif. — was named TGR’s Kitchenware Retailer of the Year. The Santa Cruz store, which was known as Chefworks until last month, has “always” been selling these items to meet consumer demand, explains Sara Stollar, assistant store manager. “Japanese and Asian ceramic tabletop sell very well here. It flies off the shelves, but not at the Half Moon Bay store.”
Tying it Together
Just as sampling sells specialty food, a demo helps sell kitchenware.
“People going for authenticity and tradition are going the distance of getting all the right ingredients and tools,” says Lapiana. “And if you tie it into a cooking class, you can sell anything.” When a chef instructor demonstrates the features of a specialty pan or gadget, “People are very responsive to it,” she adds.
New Products
Prestige Clad Cookware
Prestige Clad Cookware is stainless steel with a nonstick cooking surface. It is built on five layers of steel and has even heat distribution. To ensure the nonstick surface is long-lasting and energy-efficient, three coats of XD coating — made with diamond crystals — are applied. Collection includes fry pans, sauté pans, sauce pans, stock pots and a wok. A variety of sizes are available, with matching tempered glass lids with a hollow cast knob and venting system. Cookware and lids are oven safe up to 500 degrees. SRPs: $165 to $475.
Swiss Gourmet USA Inc. for Swiss Diamond, Charlotte, N.C., www.swissdiamond.com
Cast Iron Cookware
Clipper Corp. introduces the Viking cast iron cookware collection. Cast iron provides natural heat retention required for roasting, braising, searing and more. Most cooking can be done on low to medium heat. Initial assortment features seven shapes and sizes, including fry pans, Dutch ovens, a casserole/braiser, and a reversible grill/griddle. Cookware features a non-reactive glossy enamel interior durable enough to handle metal utensils but will not react with foods. The exterior of each piece is coated with matte enamel that helps resist chips and cracks. SRPs: $150 to $360.
Clipper Corp. / Viking Culinary Products, Los Angeles, 877-533-2547, www.vikingculinaryproducts.com
Copper Covered Casserole
Lagostina Martellata Tri-Ply Hammered 5 Quart Copper Covered Casserole with lid is great for cooking and serving. It has a thick heat-radiating aluminum core for optimal heat distribution throughout the entire pan. Oven safe and compatible with most stovetops (except induction). SRP: $179.99.
Lagostina, a division of Groupe SEB USA, Parsippany, N.J., 800-395-8325, www.groupeseb.com