In numbers: interest in Chinese, Italian cuisine sink amidst COVID-19 outbreak
China and Italy are some of the most hard-hit markets by the outbreak.
The interest level in both Chinese and Italian cuisines have dropped worldwide after the outbreak of COVID-19, analysis from Chef’s Pencil revealed.
Processing Google Trends data, the publication said that interest in Chinese cuisine specifically dropped 33% compared to January 2020, likely leading to less in-restaurant visits.
Analysed per country, Japan specifically is of note, with a 96% drop in interest. Following suit are Spain, Dubai in United Arab Emirates and Mexico.
Interest in Italian cuisine worldwide dropped by 24% for the aforementioned period.
Interest for Italian cuisine, meanwhile, also saw the largest drop in Japan, followed by France, Spain, the US and the UK.
“It is possibly a fear that restaurant employees have visited their homeland and brought the virus back with them. Or that the virus has been brought in with the food products themselves. There have been racist attacks on Chinese people around the world in the wake of the epidemic. The virus has encouraged xenophobia and racism. But there is a world of difference between physically attacking someone on the street and turning down a dish of dumplings,” the publication explained in its report.
(Editor's Note: Click HERE to read the full report from Chef's Pencil.)
