Consumer insights platform Tastewise reveals that interest in Filipino food has surged 50% in the past year, with Gen Z leading this culinary movement as they discover bold, cost-effective dishes that offer elevated flavors at affordable prices.
Alon Chen, CEO of Tastewise, attributes this growth to two key factors: the cost-of-living crisis pushing consumers toward budget-friendly meals, especially as 89% of U.S. dining happens at home, and social media sparking curiosity for global flavors with just one click.
Popular Filipino dishes are experiencing remarkable growth, with kare kare increasing 24% year-over-year, batchoy up 14%, and dinuguan rising 10%, while discussions about Filipino stews overall spiked 43% according to Tastewise data analysis.
Billy Dec, CEO of Sunda New Asian restaurants, credits the increasing influence of the 4.2 million Filipino Americans—the fastest-growing Asian-American Pacific Islander population and third-largest Asian group in the country—along with praise from food writers and Filipino-American chefs for bringing Filipino cuisine into the spotlight.
The culinary trend extends beyond food to beverages, with Filipino coffee blends seeing 26% growth over two years, while flavors like pandan and ube appeal to Gen Z's desire for visually aesthetic experiences, coinciding with historic achievements like Kasama becoming America's first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant.
