12 Jun 2025
From butter garlic naan to Korean hotteok, consumers are craving authentic, convenient flatbreads and international bakery staples.
Driven by social media influence, consumers’ bold flavor cravings, flatbreads and baked street foods are becoming mainstream supermarket items.
Their versatility, on-the-go convenience, and rich cultural roots make global flatbreads essential for food businesses looking to tap into trending consumer demands.
Consumers are loving the versatility and ease of flatbreads. At the same time, there’s a desire for flavors that reflect a specific region or heritage. Based on our global Taste Tomorrow consumer data, we expect a 27% growth in online conversations around the local authenticity trend in 2025.
Why flatbreads are the new stars of global snacking
TasteAtlas recently released a list of the top 50 breads worldwide, based on user ratings. The top two are classic South Asian flatbreads: butter garlic naan and paratha. This spotlight reflects a broader trend, as the frozen Indian flatbread market is experiencing explosive growth: projected to quintuple to $248 million by 2032 at a CAGR of 19.33%. Our AI and human intelligence-powered Taste Tomorrow research also confirms that the top 3 products for the bakery industry in terms of online popularity growth are paratha, roti and chapati.
A return to authenticity
It’s not just South Asian flatbreads that are gaining ground. The Middle Eastern pita is also surging in popularity in Europe, America and Asia. The frozen pita market is projected to reach $32.32 billion by 2023, with an annual growth rate of 11.2%.
Authenticity sells. Consumers want food that tells a story and connects them to tradition. No wonder family brands such as Joseph’s Bakery are faring particularly well with this trend. The bakery brand selling pita and lavash was founded in the US by a Syrian migrant. The authentic Syrian recipe is said to be handed down through multiple generations.
Consumers look for traditional, convenient and indulgent breads
The Taste Wise Flavor Chase report names Asian street snacks as one of 2025’s most disruptive food trends. They see a 32% increase in interest for grab-and-go options in bold Asian flavors. Consumers are particularly interested in retail or pre-made options for convenience. Authentic treats such as the Korean hotteok – a stuffed pancake growing +73% YoY – or Chinese jianbing – a popular breakfast crêpe – are benefiting most from this preference for easy yet interesting snacks. But the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich and bao buns are popular too.
The most important claims driving consumer interest in these products are traditional, indulgent and convenient. Notably, emerging claims such as easy (+78.9% YoY growth) and authentic (+29.7% YoY growth) are gaining momentum, reflecting evolving consumer priorities for accessible yet culturally rich experiences.
Unlimeat’s Cinnamon Hotteok
Healthy snacking
Health-conscious consumers are another major contributor to the growing market for flatbreads and international snacks. Flatbreads and tortillas are often perceived as a better-for-you alternatives to traditional breads, since they contain fewer carbohydrates.
In the Netherlands, supermarkets have already struggled to keep flatbreads in stock due to their growing appeal after health influencers started praising them in their videos. Flatbreads are often low in calories and are considered a very versatile option, as there are countless toppings and spreads to choose from. Today, producers are increasingly offering innovative tortilla, naan, and pita options - including keto-friendly, gluten-free, and fiber-rich varieties - to meet modern dietary demands.
“Tortillas and wraps can drastically reduce the carbohydrates in a sandwich, making them an easy swap and so convenient”, says Toufayan Bakeries vice president Karen Toufayan in Food Business News. “When you combine healthy and easy into a ready-to-eat food, you can see a trajectory for growth.” Especially now that consumers are becoming ever more aware of all the ways to use flatbreads as snacks or in a meal. On social media, people learn to use naans for pizza, tortillas for breakfast and even how to use Indian paratha to create a Greek spanakopita.
Keep an eye on dumpling innovations
In the slipstream of the flatbread, the dumpling is starting to take over supermarket shelves. Bao buns, Indian samosas, Mongolian momos or Mexican tamales are taken over both the frozen and ready to (h)eat shelves. The dumpling – a dough pocket with a savory filling that can be boiled, steamed, fried or baked – is seen as authentic, just like many flatbreads. But because of the filling, dumplings also perfectly lend themselves to fusion innovations. Think of Wholefoods’ stuffed naan bites with vegetarian butter chick’n and garam masala, pizza in a bao by Baozza or Jumbo’s empanada roti massala, mixing up Spanish and Surinamese foods. These stuffed pocket foods have the potential to follow flatbread’s trajectory towards becoming the hottest snack food, so don’t overlook this category when planning your next innovation.
With the growing appetite for authenticity, flatbreads and dumplings are just the beginning. As more brands start experimenting with new formats and flavors, the line between tradition and innovation will continue to blur. The challenge is finding the perfect balance between heritage, convenience, and indulgence, because that’s what today’s consumers crave.
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