Specialty food

Specialty foods are typically considered as "unique and high-value food items made in small quantities from high-quality ingredients..."^[1] Consumers typically pay premium prices for specialty foods, and may perceive them as having benefits^[1] compared to non-specialty foods. Compared to staple foods, specialty foods may have higher prices due to ingredients and labor that are costlier.^[2] Some food stores specialize in or predominantly purvey specialty foods.^[3]^[4]

Etymology

The term "specialty foods" does not have a standard definition.^[1] Food processors, regulators and consumers may be confused by the term due to its potential ambiguity.^[1]

Specialty foods

Foods that have been described as specialty foods include:

Caviar ^[5]
High-quality chocolate ^[6]
Gourmet pet foods ^[7]
Stinky tofu (Chinese: chòu dòufu) – has been described as a local specialty food in the Old City of Shanghai^[8]

Some specialty foods may be ethnic specialties.^[9]

Foods that have been described as specialty foods as per not precisely corresponding into other food categories include:

Kimchi ^[10]
Olives ^[10]
Royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis ^[10]
Sauerkraut ^[10]
Sea vegetables ^[10]
Umeboshi plums ^[10]

By country

China

In China, specialty foods have been described as having "important roles in the food culture..."^[11] Some Chinese recipes may be footnoted with a statement that ingredients may only be available in specialty food stores and Chinese markets.^[12]

United States

California

In 2012 in the United States, the specialty foods market sector was experiencing significant growth, with its annual growth rate at 8–10%.^[1] In 2010, specialty foods comprised 13.1% of total retail food sales and totaled $55.9 billion in sales.^[1]

In 1998, the U.S. state of California had the second-highest amount of specialty and gourmet foods of all U.S. states.^[13] This has been attributed as possible due a diverse variety of unique fruits and vegetables that can be grown in Southern California.^[13] Another possibility for the high quantity and diversity of specialty foods in California is that food innovations often occur in the state, as has occurred in other sectors such as health food and organic produce.^[13]

Vermont

In terms of food-place association perceptions, Vermont has been described as being associated with "homemade-style specialty items", along with maple syrup.^[13]

Specialty food stores

Some grocery stores, food stores and companies specialize in or predominantly purvey specialty foods. Some of these companies include:

Whole Foods Market ^[14]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Zhao 2012, p. vii
^ Hall, S. (2005). From Kitchen to Market: Selling Your Gourmet Food Specialty. From Kitchen to Market: Selling Your Gourmet Food Specialty Series. Kaplan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7931-9997-6. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
^ Wemischner, R.; Karp, K. (1997). Gourmet to go: a guide to opening and operating a speciality food store. John Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-13939-3.
^ Pegler, M.M. (1999). Specialty Food Store Design. Visual Reference Publications. ISBN 978-0-934590-77-8.
^ Zhao 2012, p. 298.
^ Szogyi, Alex (editor) (1997). Chocolate: Food of the Gods. Issue 14 of Contributions in intercultural and comparative studies (ISSN 0147-1031). Greenwood Press. p. 137. ISBN 978-0-313-30506-1. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ McGrath, R.G.; MacMillan, I.C. (2000). The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty. Working paper series (Snider Entrepreneurial Center). Harvard Business School Press. p. 213. ISBN 978-0-87584-834-1.
^ Owyang, S. (2010). Frommer's Shanghai. Frommer's Complete Guides. Wiley. p. 216. ISBN 978-0-470-43794-0.
^ Halter, M. (2007). Shopping for Identity: The Marketing of Ethnicity. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 110. ISBN 978-0-307-42770-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bowden 2007, p. 222.
^ Newman, J.M. (2004). Food Culture in China. Food culture around the world. Greenwood Press. p. xii. ISBN 978-0-313-32581-6.
^ Dahlen, M. (2010). A Cook's Guide to Chinese Vegetables. askmar publishing. ISBN 978-1-935842-03-3.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Shortridge, B.G.; Shortridge, J.R. (1998). The Taste of American Place: A Reader on Regional and Ethnic Foods. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-8476-8507-3.
^ Fromartz, S. (2007). Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-547-41600-7. Retrieved March 1, 2015.

Bibliography

Zhao, Y. (2012). Specialty Foods: Processing Technology, Quality, and Safety. Science & food technology. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-4398-5423-5.
Bowden, J. (2007). The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why. Fair Winds Press. pp. 221–240. ISBN 978-1-61673-416-9.