Global Snacks Find Edge in Grab-and-Go Formats

Korean kimbap, Malaysian karipap, and Moroccan makouda are gaining ground with consumers, thanks to a shared trait: portability, according to Datassential’s World Bites: Global Snacks report.

Kimbap makes the clearest case. The Korean rice roll — seaweed wrapped around sesame-oil seasoned rice and packed with fillings like bulgogi beef, spicy tuna, or crab — is up 133% on menus over the past four years, with another 74% projected.

Retail drove much of kimbap’s visibility, with Trader Joe’s kimbap repeatedly selling out and Costco and Aldi carrying their own versions. “Kimbap’s grab-and-go format fits neatly into convenient, on-the-go snacking trends,” the report notes, calling it “a hearty food that’s portable and doesn’t need to be heated.”

A few concepts are already testing that appeal: Chicago’s Pink Mu serves a gochujang tuna kimbap, while New York’s Kimbap Lab offers a Salmon Kimbap made with organic Scottish salmon.

Karipap, the Malaysian and Singaporean curry puff, is a pocket-sized pastry traditionally filled with curried potato, chicken, or egg. Recognition sits at 6%, but the filling offers familiarity — 34% of consumers love or like curry sauce, according to Datassential’s Consumer Preferences platform. The report suggests operators introduce karipap as a grab-and-go case item, pairing that familiar curry filling with a portable hand pie format.

Makouda, a Moroccan potato fritter often eaten with a smear of harissa, posted a market appeal score of 42, with just 6% of consumers recognizing the snack. Because the meat-free fritters do not need reheating, the report calls makouda “an easy add as a grab-and-go option.” Harissa, a natural pairing for makouda, is up 10% on menus over the past four years, while Moroccan cuisine overall has grown 5% over the same span. 

The push toward portable formats fits a broader shift in how consumers eat. Forty-five percent of U.S. consumers say they are buying more convenience-store food and beverages to eat on the go than they were two years ago, compared with just 10% who say they are buying more to eat in-store, according to Datassential’s C-Stores report. 

The C-Stores report ties the shift to a return to more structured routines, as expanded return-to-office policies and school schedules make grab-and-go convenience an everyday habit again.