Once considered ethnic foods, Italian, Mexican and Chinese offerings have all seen change in recent years. No longer simply spaghetti and meatballs, Italian food now is more defined. For many, plain olive oil will not suffice, as the preference is extra virgin olive oil from Tuscany.
That is just the beginning of the focus demanded by more consumers. Not long ago, food from Southeast Asia would have been grouped under the "Oriental" label. Today, consumers are seeking foods from individual countries--Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand or Vietnam. Simply defining a meal as Chinese is not specific enough, as styles of Chinese have grown to include Shanghai (i.e., cabbage and pork), Cantonese (i.e., seafood and fresh vegetables), Szechwan and Hunan.