Mexican food most popular cuisine during Veganuary 2021

Mexican food was the most popular Veganuary cuisine in 2021, according to social media insight from spice specialist Santa Maria.

The cuisine featured in 21% of Veganuary social media posts, an increase on 18% in 2020, overtaking Thai, Middle Eastern and Indian food for the second year running.

The data, gathered by social listening tool Delve on behalf of Santa Maria, indicated that tacos and wraps were the Tex-Mex dishes that received the most attention, closely followed by nachos, fajitas and quesadillas.

The 'Mexitarian' trend has grown due to brands such as Club Mexicana and Mestizo, while established restaurant groups have also focused on their vegan offerings, such as Taco Bell's partnership with Gold&Green Foods Pulled Oats.

Cauliflower-based Mexican dishes, particularly when used as a meat alternative in tacos, appear to be popular, with an increase in mentions from last year. There is also evidence of the trend for fusion between Mexican dishes and high-protein vegan meal offerings, such as Mexican bean vegan pasties.

Santa Maria’s taste creator, Barny MacAdam, commented: “The continued rise in popularity of Mexican dishes during Veganuary reinforces that Mexican and meat-free are a perfect match. Mexican cuisine is defined by its distinctive spice blends, and they can be applied to any carrier and have delicious results, meaning consumers are happy to swap from meat to an alternative without sacrificing the tastes they love."