Speciality Food September 2025

appreciation for authentic regional variety beyond the usual sweet and sour or generic stir fry sauces. British consumers are curious, well travelled and increasingly focused on quality and health. They want big flavour, without compromise.” Cindy Robert, founder of The Korean Pantry, says the last 10 years have seen interest in Korean, Filipino, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisines soar. “Back in 2012, when I started to work in Korean restaurants, I often had to explain to all the customers what kimchi, gochujang, bibimbap “Asian flavours bring bold, vibrant and authentic tastes that are fresh and exciting for today’s adventurous eaters. At DELLI we see this as part of a bigger movement where consumers crave real, story-driven food experiences that go beyond the usual. The surge in demand for chilli- infused products, like the Malaysian Chinese style chilli oil fromMama Yu, or unique blends fromDudu Eats and Poon’s, shows how people want flavours with personality and heritage.” Chilli products, Octavia continues, have grown in sales fivefold since 2023. “We’ve had record-breaking drops, like Mama Yu’s chilli oil selling out 1,000 jars in just 40minutes. Asian-inspired products, sauces and condiments are definititely riding this wave of growth as our makers quickly respond to what the community wants.” “Asian flavours deliver boldness, balance, comfort and complexity in every bite,” says Eyan Chan, founder of Chilli Chan. “People want that more than ever. There is a growing because of the growth of social media and recipes being available online for people to experiment with. The best part for me, personally, about that part of Asia and cooking is you can get so much flavour into a dish with very little work. The ingredients pack a punch.” Steven Salamon, owner of Wally’s Deli, has similarly noticed increased interest in Asian ingredients, particularly Korean and Vietnamese spices, sauces and relishes, adding that he thinks they’ve risen up as Thai ingredients and flavours have peaked. “We just haven’t seen a lot of innovation there,” he explains. “Travel to Vietnamhas opened up a huge amount of tourism, and we’re certainly seeing a lot of interest in authentic Vietnamese products.” Customers are also being drawn to kimchi, gochujang and different types of miso. “They’re not really worried about the brand,” he adds. “It’s the authenticity they want.” Specialist retailer, The Asian Cookshop, has experienced huge growth recently due to public excitement around Asian ingredients, says director AlomNoor. “Over the last two years, we’ve seenmore interest in items that we would class as ‘hard to find’, or previously ‘unknown’ to the general public, selling out within days,” he explains, saying boosts in sales of certain items can invariably be traced back to trending online recipes. “Social media has a huge influence,” he continues, “with recipes and ‘how to’ videos all over TikTok and Youtube showcasing the variety and the very best Asian dishes. “People can take a screenshot of the ingredients required, go to our online shop to buy exactly what they need, and get it delivered to their door. Then they can watch (and rewind back) the video to follow exactly how the dish is prepared – all from the palm of their hands!” Growing speciality food app, DELLI, is blossoming with an ever- growing range of Asian products from small independent makers – and consumers can’t get enough of them says Octavia Pendrill-Adams, head of brand and content. D ashi broths. Sriracha-infused swicy hot honey. Chilli crisp. Kimchi. Asian flavours and Asian cuisine are dominating sales at many specialist retailers right now. Their bright, crisp, hot, aromatic and exciting flavour profiles seem to be resonating with consumers, inspired by the sauces, pickles and seasonings they’ve picked up on their travels, and by an endless stream of international food content fed to them on social media. Shoppers want to recreate Chinese hot pots, tangles of noodles in fiery dressings, Korean barbecue andmore, all within the comfort of their own homes. Across the board, both retailers and producers have been noticing a growth in Asian food and ingredient sales in response. Harry Woolf-Evans, founder of Reuben’s butchery and deli in Suffolk, has upped the range of Asian foods he carries in store following almost a year of increased demand. “Outside of our fresh and cooked range, White Mausu is the thing that sells most for us,” he says. “Everyone gets so excited about it when they come in, talking like they’re White Mausu addicts. I think the appeal is it works all day – from eggs in the morning, to dinner at night. Everyone seems to be eating it!” As an independent shop, championing smaller, more niche producers is key, Harry adds, saying he’s noticed a flurry of Asian flavours coming to market – calling them a deli owner’s dream. “Asian food, especially East Asian, is really having its moment. Absolutely I think it’s 60 @specialityfood STEVEN SALAMON WALLY’S DELI EYAN CHAN CHILLI CHAN KATIE SANDERSON WHITE MAUSU CINDY ROBERT THE KOREAN PANTRY COMMENTATORS HARRY WOOLF-EVANS REUBEN’S AUTHENTICALLY ASIAN East Asian flavours and ingredients are experiencing hot demand this year. Speciality Food investigates 8 TRENDING ASIAN CONDIMENTS AND SEASONINGS RAYU A Japanese condiment, made by tempering chillies and other aromatics in nutty sesame oil. CHILLI CRISP Crunchy, umami, salty, sweet, umami and hot, this is a versatile friend in the kitchen, marrying crispy chilli (and often shallots and garlic) in oil. GOCHUJANG A savoury, sweet, spicy fermented Korean chilli paste, used as a base for dressings, sauces and marinades. TOGARASHI Citrus peel, dried red pepper, seaweed, sesame seeds and peppercorns combine in this warming, aromatic spice blend for sprinkling over noodle and ramen bowls (and everything else). XO SAUCE Incredibly savoury, rich and deep, this speciality of Hong Kong is made with a range of changeable ingredients but often dried shrimp, dried scallop, chillies and garlic. SRIRACHA Thailand’s ubiquitous hot sauce, made with chillies, vinegar and pickled garlic. SSAMJANG The star of this Korean paste is rising. It’s made with fermented soy beans, gochujang, sesame oil and fragrant garlic and onions. KECAP MANIS Popping up as an ingredient in sauces and marinades (especially for wings) this is an Indonesian sauce with a palm sugar and soy base.