It’s a Small Aisle After All
The evolution of the "international" section of the grocery store and how some products stay there forever and some break out to blend in with similar products throughout the market.
99% Invisible · Shirley Wang, Vivian Le, Christopher Johnson
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Show Notes
If you’ve ever been to a supermarket in the US, you’ve probably seen an ethnic food aisle. Maybe it was called the "international aisle," or "world foods," but it was the same idea. This is the “It’s A Small World After All” part of the shopping experience. It’s where you’ll find ramen next to coconut milk, next to plantain chips next to harissa. Although ethnic aisles look different in every supermarket, they’re often variations on the same theme. And while so-called “ethnic food brands” get a chance to feed the American masses, they’re still confined to the ethnic aisle. And they may never leave.
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