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Food is a central part of culture and social interaction. It serves as a way of maintaining cultural traditions and identity, passing them on to future generations. Adjusting to new cuisine can be difficult and frustrating when all you can find that will give you a quick taste of home is the fast food Taco Bell restaurant. This section gives access to ways of purchasing authentic Latino food products via the internet in addition to several local restaurants that will bring you a little closer to the memory of home.
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There's a new Culinary trend in the United States called Nuevo Latino Cuisine. According to The Latin Food Network beginning in the 1990s in Florida, it is now the fastest growing trend with a diverse origin with influences from Cuba, Caribbean, Puerto Rico, South America, and Central America [23]. This trend is greatly influenced by the demographics and the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States--Hispanics.
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The Latino Food Network is an informative site about the Latino food industry whose mission is in "increasing awareness of the Latino-American Cuisine experience by creating a network of resources, consultation and community." An article titled "Salsa outselling Ketchup? Marketing to Hispanics is Hot" states that Hispanics have an annual spending power of over $540 billion. It is interesting to note that salsa does indeed outsell ketchup in the United States [24]. Thus, marketers are realizing the importance of addressing this group of consumers. However, there are distinct segments within this market group: Mexican heritage make up 66.9%; Central and South Americans 14.3%; Puerto Ricans 8.6%; and Cubans 3.7%, according to the census [25]. Therefore it seems the industry is catering more towards Mexicans. This can be seen even in the local restaurants of Washtenaw County.
