‘International cuisine’ or ethnic food is slowly but steadily making its mark on Hungarian cuisine. This group of products is increasingly important in retail too, with food specialties from the Far East being one of the dominant segments. Shan’shi, a product line distributed by Maresi Foodbroker Kft. is a good example: it is a wide selection of products that covers the whole Far East assortment from China to India, with popular categories such as noodle specialties, cocoa milk, sambal oelek and chilli sauce. Rita Habuda-Salyámosy, marketing director of Maresi Foodbroker Kft. told our magazine that for consumers it is enough to buy just a few ingredients (meat, fruits of the sea, etc.) to cook Oriental dishes simply and quickly by using Shan’shi products.

She added that it is important to present Shan’shi products in one block in the shops. Maresi recommends using displays with informative recipe books because buyers have to be taught how to use these products. Soy sauce is one of the best known and most popular products from the Far East. Sales of Kikkoman soy sauces have been growing on a contracting Hungarian market since 2010. These products are made from natural ingredients and are fermented naturally, using a several-hundred-years-old recipe and Japanese traditions. Kikkoman sauces are premium products that contain no genetically modified soy or artificial additives. Rita Takács, Maresi Foodbroker Kft.’s brand manager told us that they have been doing in-store tasting sessions for Kikkoman sauces for years, at the same time educating buyers about usage opportunities.