As Americans broaden their tastes, importers aim both for niches, mainstream.

Publication: South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service)

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COPYRIGHT 2001 South Florida Sun-Sentinal

Byline: Doreen Hemlock

Belgian chocolates at supermarkets. Thai restaurants at strip malls. Mexican beers at corner bars. Jamaican beef patties at school cafeterias.

Forget such American staples as meatloaf and mashed potatoes: U.S. palates are going global. Today, Americans spend more on salsa than on ketchup and import more than one-third of all fresh fruits.

International or "ethnic" foods are big business and getting bigger _ both for imports and products made in the United States. By 2010, ethnic food sales should reach $75 billion a year, accounting for 15 percent of growth in U.S. food sales this decade, said market researcher Promar International of Alexandria, Va. Rising immigration and more baby boomers traveling abroad are spurring the growth.

So, how can an entrepreneur bite into that market and savor profits?

It takes far more than finding a fabulous olive oil in Tuscany, lining up a reliable lemongrass supplier in Thailand, or even landing a contract with a U.S. supermarket chain, industry executives...

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