FSR August 2022

TRENDING ON THE MENU // Italian Cheeses

Italian Cheese Trends A FEW KEY INSIGHTS FROM DATASSENTIAL ON ITALIAN CHEESES

ITALIAN CHEESES GROWING FASTEST ON U.S. MENUS Cheese Menu Penetration 4-Year Growth Burrata 6.7% +51% Parmigiano 3.6% +50% Stracciatella 1.5% +37% Bocconcini 0.5% +37% Fior Di Latte 0.8% +28% Pecorino Romano 3.4% +30% Pecorino 8.5% +18%

• Classic Italian cheese varieties like parmesan and mozzarella continue to dominate categories like pizza and salads. • Parmesan appears on 55.2 percent of industry menus, while mozzarella appears on 47.2 percent. • There is more to Italian cheese than parmesan and mozzarella. Trending, up-and-coming Italian cheese varieties add a safe yet innovative touch to menu heroes like salads and pizza or create interest as part of a signature menu item. • Even the sweet side of the menu can experiment with creamier varieties, like ricotta, mascarpone, or stracciatella. MOZZARELLA Southern Italian cheese traditionally OCFG HTQO +VCNKCP DWHHCNQoU OKNM +VoU RTQNKƂ E VJCPMU VQ its prime spot on most pizza—one of the most widely loved dishes among all consumers—but also used in PWOGTQWU FKUJGU CU C VQRRKPI HQT KVU GCU[ OGNV OKNF ƃ C vor, and chewy texture. CONSUMERS: AWARENESS HIGHEST AMONG GEN X, BOOMERS Know It Have Tried It 98% 95% MENU EXAMPLE: Chicken Parmigiana: topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, served with pasta. 5GTCƂ PQ +VCNKCPQ 4GUVCWTCPV // MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

ITALIAN CHEESE TRENDS TO WATCH & UNDERSTAND // COURTESY OF DATASSENTIAL

PARMESAN

PARMESAN An Italian hard cheese produced from cow’s milk and aged at least 12 months. It’s traditionally WUGF CU C Ƃ PKUJKPI EJGGUG ETWUV QT UCWEG EQORQPGPV in classic Italian dishes, but it can also be used as a sub stitute for cotija in Mexican dishes, which are growing in popularity with younger consumers. CONSUMERS: AWARENESS HIGHEST AMONG GEN X, BOOMERS Know It Have Tried It 96% 92% MENU EXAMPLE: Chicken Francesca: parmesan cheese-crusted chicken, lemon butter sauce, bruschetta tomatoes, chef’s accompaniments. Noto’s Old World Italian Dining // GRAND RAPIDS, MI

MOZZARELLA PEARLS

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AUGUST 2022

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