Spice consumption triples since 1970′s

The consumption of spices in the United States has grown almost three times as fast as the population over the past several decades. Much of that growth is attributed to the changing demographics of America.

“We’ve had a very big influx of immigrant populations — from Mexico, from the Far East, the Southeast Asia areas, from India,” says Peter Furth, CEO of the consulting firm FFF Associates, whose focus is specialty foods, including spices.

Immigration, Furth says, has resulted in a broader array of restaurants. At the same time, food blogs and television cooking shows have spurred more home cooking. Together, those trends have resulted in a much more adventurous national palate.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show big gains in Americans’ spice consumption since the 1970s, including 600 percent more chili pepper, 300 percent more cumin, and a whopping 1,600 percent more ginger.

Listen to the full report and story at NPR