What is the food reality between Greece and USA?
The food reality is a bit different between the two countries. Whatever seems to be “normal” in Greece is not “acceptable” in USA. What does this really means?
The Mediterranean diet seems to be a trend in USA and more and more people start to adjust their everyday diet to the Greek style. But it is not enough just to export a Greek product in order to be successful in another country; you should incorporate it in every country and in every potential consumer. The food trend differs from region to region even in the same country.
A typical example of the above mentioned is the fact that feta cheese as the Greeks know it in big slices, is not preferable in USA. They consume feta only in small pieces like cubes and only on top of their salad. They even sell it in this form because it’s the only way USA consumers will choose this product instead of another substitute. Another product that has overwhelmed US food market is olives. But like feta cheese, olives are consumed in two different versions, sliced on top of the pizza, or stuffed in drinks. Researches have shown that Greece is the No1 exporter of olives’ type “kalamon” and that the 87% of the US consumption in olives are the stuffed ones.
Another product that is massively consumed by the American market is peaches that are used widely in exotic salads. While in Greece we prefer eating them whole, right after they harvest them, in USA peaches are packaged in slices for their salads. Greece is the No1 producer worldwide in peaches and that should be considered as an advantage and people should invest on this sector.
Also, the dairy products like yogurt, in Greece are consumed at breakfast, lunch and almost with every meal. However, in America it is used as a sauce and on small portions in some of their meals. Another factor of the growing yogurt consumption in USA is that the street food is continually expanded and those sauces that based in yogurt are a big trend. Moreover, the demand in Greek food noted a raise and especially in Greek plates like gyros with tzatziki sauce.
Another factor that influences the trends in food reality in USA is the “Home Reality”, which simply means how many meals do Americans eat and cook at home contrary to Greeks? The typical Greek family will cook almost every day and even take home made food at work. They eat rarely “junk food” and in general food outside home. This pattern is observed in a large scale in the countryside of Greece than in bigger cities.
On the contrary, USA is characterized by the food consumption outside home in almost every meal during the day, from breakfast to dinner. Researches have shown that over 1 million restaurants are legally registered in USA and around 14.7 million people work in restaurants’ industry. It is estimated that until 2027 there will be created more that 1.6 million new work places in USA restaurants. Almost 1/10 of employees are working in restaurants. The result of all those is $799 billion in restaurants’ sales industry.
To conclude with, it is more than obvious that the investment in the USA and in a new market in general should be careful. We should first observe trends and habits and then conform to each market. Greek products are globally known and preferred for their quality, but the key factor is that we have to be prepared for changes in food culture that exists in Greece.
This article was exclusively written by DK Consultants for the AMCHAM newsletter.