Really intriguing article on the progress of salted caramel from the rarefied world of French chefs to the aisles of Mall-Wart in the NYTimes today. But even more interesting than the progression (and I should confess that I don't like Starbuck's salted caramel hot chocolate at all) is how analysts chart a food's "rise" (or popularization).
Stage 1: Appearance in small ethnic or fine dining establishments
Stage 2: high-end magazines and specialty food trade shows
Stage 3: in innovative chains or retail stores
Stage 4: in women's magazines (this is the step that surprised me), large chain, or supermarket
Stage 5: voila, the American mass market
I guess that's how chai made it mainstream. One of the experts thinks quinoa is next. McQuinoa?? We'll see . . .
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