Do you consider these items exotic?

Question

I'm developing recipes for a middle America non-gourmet audience. Do you consider paprika, dried mustard or rice vinegar exotic? Would an unfamiliar ingredient keep you from trying a recipe? Thanks!

Thanks! This confirms my beliefs. I hate dumbing down recipes. Can't wait to show my client these responses Monday. They actually think paprika is exotic!!!

Answer 1

No.

No.

Answer 2

hmm... i don't think paprika or dried mustard are exotic, but rice vinegar MIGHT. I mean, maybe it is to some people, but for me, it's not because i always watch the cooking channel so i know a lot of different ingredients.
No, an unfamiliar ingredient wouldn't keep me from trying a recipe, but maybe raw fish or some kind of meat would. Definitely not something like rice vinegar though! Convince them by telling them how it might be good for you, what other famous dishes it's in, and how it tastes (mild, sour, tangy, etc)

Answer 3

Rice vinegar may be considered exotic only because not all the grocery stores in my area carry it. An unfamiliar ingredient would NOT keep me from trying a recipe. Not being able to find an ingredient would keep me from trying a recipe.

Answer 4

I would consider rice vinegar exotic (but not dried mustard or paprike) but I am not American. If a recipe had an unfamiliar ingredient I wouldn't go out and buy that ingredient just for one recipe but I would tend to see if I could substitute it for something I did have or leave it out. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Most kitchens would have paprika. Probably not dried mustard and rice vinegar, though. You might suggest places to get them, or items that can be substituted - or not, as the case may be. For example, would cider vinegar work instead of rice vinegar, but not red wine vinegar?

As to your last question - it depends on the ingredient. I'd probably try something that used dried mustard or rice vinegar if I knew where to find them, and they weren't too expensive. I'd probably pass on something that WAS expensive or sounded disgusting.

Answer 6

If I could give you one bit of business advice (no, I don't consider these ingredients exotic, I consider them staples in my kitchen), that is to not show your clients how 'dumb' they are. I find new ingredients challenging and hunt them out.

Tell your clients about the spices you want to use in your cooking, explain the flavor of each spice and how it contributes to the flavor of a dish. Once your clients are educated, in a nice way, they will want to expand their knowledge and you will be the one they come to for this.

Replace the term 'dumb down' with 'user friendly' or 'kitchen friendly' or say you have "altered" the original 'exotic' recipe because you thought their suggestions were very on point.

These people are your market, as long as you are in business you give your clientele what they want. If you want to impress people, and you apparently have the skill and knowledge, you might want to take your act out of middle america and plant it in a city that would be excited by your cuisine, like the west coast.

Good luck to you.

Answer 7

No, these ingredients I would not consider exotic, they are very common with the exception of maybe the rice vinegar, I've never used it. I love to experiment with cooking and am very adverturous when eating, so an unfamiliar ingredient would pique my curiosity and make me want to try it all the more. Good Luck! Keep Cooking!!!

Answer 8

Those are pretty common now. I would not balk at those, but I will tell you that when a recipe calls for a tiny bit of some ingredient that is expensive or I'd not use again, I'd either leave it out, substitute or not make the recipe at all.

For example. A recipe calls for 1 tsp of unsalted butter. I have to buy a whole pkg, 4 qtrs or unstalted butter for 1 tsp or tbsp. I'd just use reg butter.

Answer 9

rice vinegar is maybe a little exotic but dried mustard and paprika are about as exotic as dirt.

Answer 10

Not at all. Most good cooks have all these on hand. I would only pass up a recipe with an unfamiliar ingredient if I couldn't find it, (i.e.like saffron).

Answer 11

LOL None of these things seem exotic to me. I want to be able to purchase things to cook that I can find in my local grocery store. If I had to go to a specialty market EVERY SINGLE TIME I wanted to utilize one of your recipes, then that would be a deterrent.