Spain has emerged as an innovative world-cuisine leader and has great depth in cooking styles, dishes, and flavors. Mediterranean and Asian cuisine offer bold flavors in line with consumers’ evolving nutritional needs and flavor desires.

We’ll see quick-service inspired by authentic street cuisines of various countries. For example, items from outdoor grills in the Tropics; unique handheld carriers from a stand in Paris; and bold, simple flavors off a street cart in Mexico.

If McDonalds’s can democratize edamame, then a spicy Thai peanut chicken salad or a BBQ pork sandwich with a kimchee-based slaw is not such a stretch. Southern Europe/ Mediterranean flavors have re-introduced us to Spanish influences—heightened flavor sensations and health benefits. Mediterranean/ North African flavors and techniques creep in at the full-service end for the same authentic and flavorful reasons. These could present themselves in the quick-service world in the form of dipping sauces or marinades (tapenade or chimichurri or harissa) to familiar proteins.

Indian cuisine provides a variety of dishes that can be prepared as one-pot meals/stews or that can be stuffed and baked/ fried. Furthermore, Indian cuisine s famous for vegetarian dishes that can be included in quick-service.

Some ethnic populations see traditional American cuisine as rather bland, so flavor profiles incorporating traditionally ethnic elements—spices, peppers, seasonings—give food a more exotic flair. These more intense flavor profiles will continue to resonate with consumers and affect their purchasing decisions.

Chile will become more and more of a curiosity. This will be led by the fact that people are starting to understand the great impact Chile has on our produce market and that they grow very nice wines at good prices. The Thai food phenomenon is great, but people will begin to say, “This is delicious, but what else is there?” This question will be answered by India, Vietnam, and regional Chinese cuisines never before known.

Indian foods will become mainstream and impact quick-service in the next five to ten years, because bolder flavors are still on the rise.