The urban Indian households are increasingly experimenting with home-cooked western food and are also inculcating western sauces as ingredients in Indian dishes, indicating a stronger emergence of ‘Indo-Western Cuisine’.
According to a survey commissioned by packaged food company Dr Oetker and conducted by market research firm Ipsos, nearly 79 per cent of the households surveyed, which prepare western food, said they do it at least once a week. In addition, home-cooked western food is often consumed as a proper meal during evening or dinner time and not just a snack.
The survey was conducted across 14 cities with a sample size of 1,000 urban households.
The key reasons for cooking western food listed by the respondents included ‘easy to cook’ (68 per cent), ‘good to share with family and friends’ (57 per cent) and ‘enjoyed by kids’ (53 per cent). With 7 out of 10 western food consumers being below 30 years of age, the survey also indicated that younger consumers are driving the consumption of western food at home.
As far as fusion food is concerned, 97 per cent of the urban Indian households, which prepare western food at home, stated that they mix western sauces with Indian food either as a dips or even as ingredients in Indian dishes like rice pulao, egg bhurji or paneer gravy.
Fast evolving food
Oliver Mirza, MD & CEO, Dr Oetker India & SAARC, said that western and Indo-Western food are fast evolving as significant new categories in Indian homes. Elaborating the survey findings on the emergence of Indo-Western cuisine, he added, “Kitchens in the western food-consuming Indian households have on an average three western sauces apart from ketchups of which mayonnaise and pasta pizza sauce top the charts.”
Consumption of Indo-Western vegetarian food is also finding salience as more households are preparing Italian and Continental cuisines as predominantly vegetarian meals (66 per cent) , the study added.
Respondents also said that irrespective of cuisines, preparation of western foods at home is a family affair with 2 out of 5 people preparing meals with assistance such as spouse (34 per cent), friend (23 per cent) or other family member (38 per cent).
“Western sauces and spreads has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments in the western food category. Despite the ongoing consumption slowdown, we have witnessed a strong growth rate of 20 per cent year-to-date and expect to close this fiscal year with revenues of ₹300 crore,” Mirza said. The company aims to touch the ₹500 crore-mark by 2022.
Dr Oetker is known for frozen pizzas, muesli and home baking products in international markets. In India, the company is a leading player in western sauces and spreads with its sub-brand FunFood.