Is There a Design Problem in the Ethnic Food Ile?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

i think the main theory isn't necessarily that other countries are trolling us so much as it is, you know, maybe they might be catering to x pats who are away from home. And in the ethnic ile in the united states too, it's not the best stuff. It's not something that you would like immediately think of chinese food when you see, like, a can of ya chaman or something exactyye. i was just like, it is kind of like impulse by comfort food, i think, yes.

If you’ve ever been to a supermarket in the US, you’ve probably seen an ethnic food aisle. Maybe it was called the "international aisle," or "world foods," but it was the same idea. This is the “It’s A Small World After All” part of the shopping experience. It’s where you’ll find ramen next to coconut milk, next to plantain chips next to harissa. Although ethnic aisles look different in every supermarket, they’re often variations on the same theme. And while so-called “ethnic food brands” get a chance to feed the American masses, they’re still confined to the ethnic aisle. And they may never leave.

It's a Small Aisle After All