For centuries, bread has arguably been the most versatile baked product around. But recent years have seen a usurper grow in popularity, leaping across borders, cultures and cuisines. The tortilla, formerly the carefully kept secret of South America, stretches back so far that even historians aren't sure how this “little cake” originated. But one thing's for sure — the first people to enjoy the tortilla couldn't have possibly imagined the ways in which their versatile flatbread would come to be used.

A couple of years ago, the tortilla was making headlines for breaking out of the Latino food niche and into the American mainstream. The flatbread is now so widely accepted as a bakery staple that in 2009 both corn and whole wheat flour tortillas were added to the WIC food program.

Tortillas have even managed to gain a foothold in other cuisines, most noticeably the emerging Korean food trend.

“The Korean taco is part of the street food trend that been going on for the past year and a half or so,” says Kara Nielsen, food trendologist for the Center for Culinary Development at market research firm Packaged Facts. “Certainly in L.A., where the Korean taco took off, people are very familiar with the soft corn tortilla.“ The trend even attracted the attention of the New York Times, who noted that the tortilla has been co-opted by Korean food trucks across the country, from Austin to Indianapolis to Portland.

The wrap trend that emerged several years ago shows no sign of waning, especially as manufacturers add more healthful varieties to supermarket shelves.

“Even though they've been around for a while, they're still something that restaurants are still focusing on, because you can still deliver a lot of flavor in a wrap. There's a health appeal to that,” Nielsen explains. “Also, it's a very good snack, and Americans are snacking more — take for instance the McDonald's snack wrap, which was introduced recently.”

Buying behavior seems to confirm consumers are turning to tortillas for a healthful snack, even though sales figures show the flatbread has not been immune to the economic slump.

“We've seen a slight shift in consumer preference to smaller package sizes in some areas,” says Norma Rojas, senior director of marketing for Mission Foods, Irving, Texas.

Juv Marchisio, senior marketing manager for B&G Foods Inc., Parsippany, N.J., agrees that healthfulness remains a top priority for tortilla shoppers.

“The trend has been toward better-for-you tortilla products,” he says. “Besides our whole wheat tortillas, there has been everything from 6-in., corn-based jalapeño-cilantro tortillas and fat-free tortillas to 12-in. flour-based spinach or tomato tortillas.”

It's clear that now the tortilla has broken through, it's here to stay — in seemingly limitless varieties.

“What's exciting from a baking point of view is customers' broadening interest in flatbreads and in using them in more authentic ways,” Nielsen adds. “The tortilla has also become a building block for new creations. It's a sign of appropriation and a sign of creativity, and it indicates the openness of folks to what they are eating these days.”

TOP10 Brands: Dollar and Unit Sales (millions)

Refrigerated Brand Names Dollar Sales % Change Year Ago Unit Sales % Change Year Ago
Mission $115.1 ↓ 17.6% 42.5 ↓ 22.2%
Azteca 27.9 ↓ 2.4 16.9 ↓ 4.6
Private Label 21.2 ↑ 1.1 15.4 ↑ 2.8
Pepito 10.4 ↓ 9.0 4.5 ↓ 6.7
Cruz 7.8 ↓ 7.5 3.2 ↓ 11.5
Tamxicos 6.2 ↓ 19.0 2.5 ↓ 20.0
Mex America 4.8 ↑ 5.6 2.4 ↑ 0.1
Guerrero 3.2 ↓ 49.7 1.3 ↓ 48.4
Pinata 3.2 ↓ 13.9 1.8 ↓ 13.9
Azteca Buena Vida 2.6 ↓ 5.3 1.1 ↓ 7.6

Source: Infoscan Reviews, SymphonyIRI Group, July 11, 2010

Fresh Bakery Products 52 weeks ended July 11: $ Sales % Change Prior Year 52 weeks ended July 11: Unit Sales % Change Prior Year
Bread $6,494,206,000 ↓ 2.8% 3,024,098,000 ↑ 0.5%
Cakes (excl snack/coffee) 742,215,200 ↑ 3.6 40,127,500 ↑ 2.4
Pies (excl snack pies) 229,189,100 ↑ 8.5 48,240,910 ↑ 10.9
English Muffins 516,296,600 ↓ 5.9 217,931,500 ↓ 1.6
Rolls/Buns/Croissants 1,173,978,000 ↑ 17.7 488,393,600 ↑ 15.8
Bagels/Bialys 567,162,000 ↑ 2.4 197,185,700 ↑ 7.8
Donuts 676,728,900 ↑ 2.7 274,809,100 ↑ 7.2
Muffins 306,271,500 ↓ 0.2 104,641,600 ↑ 1.6
Cookies 3,672,615,000 ↑ 0.5 1,447,404,000 ↑ 0.3
Crackers 3,774,966,000 ↑ 1.6 1,477,103,000 ↑ 3.4
Pastry/Danish/Coffeecake 641,753,900 ↓ 3.4 268,289,800 ↓ 1.8
Refrigerated Bakery Products 52 weeks ended July 11: $ Sales % Change Prior Year 52 weeks ended July 11: Unit Sales % Change Prior Year
Bagels/Bialys $59,023,160 ↓ 1.6% 36,698,630 ↓ 2.0%
Bread 3,433,296 ↓ 8.3 1,129,283 ↓ 8.4
Cakes (excl snack/coffee) 99,230,490 ↑ 27.3 12,725,560 ↑ 26.5
Dinner/Sandwich Rolls/Croissants 794,233 ↓ 25.6 320,724 ↓ 28.7
English Muffins 38,254,950 ↑ 0.6 18,699,820 ↓ 1.6
Muffins 49,575 ↓ 37.8 9,687 ↓ 35.9
Pastry/Danish/Coffeecake 8,354,245 ↑ 11.00 2,458,186 ↑ 23.5
Pies (excl snack pies) 24,524,570 ↓ 3.1 4,386,998 ↓ 0.3
Snack Cakes/Donuts 7,091,493 ↑ 39.4 2,003,653 ↑ 76.3
Cheesecakes 112,168,700 ↑ 2.0 15,135,930 ↑ 8.2
Biscuit Dough 378,584,300 ↓ 0.9 290,208,500 ↑ 0.3
Cookie/Brownie Dough 362,646,700 ↓ 7.2 129,136,900 ↓ 3.8
Bread/Rolls/Pastry Dough 260,238,800 ↓ 3.8 124,714,000 ↓ 2.3
Pastry/Dumpling Dough 306,402,600 ↓ 5.0 129,552,500 ↓ 3.5
Frozen Bakery Products 52 weeks ended July 11: $ Sales % Change Prior Year 52 weeks ended July 11: Unit Sales % Change Prior Year
Bread/Rolls/Pastry Dough $182,572,000 ↑ 3.2% 57,422,660 ↑ 2.6%
Cookie Dough 2,933,125 ↑ 11.0 550,549 ↑ 20.4
Fresh-Baked Bread/Rolls/Biscuits 503,539,200 ↓ 2.4 191,114,700 ↓ 3.2
Bagels 59,230,140 ↓ 17.9 30,257,270 ↓ 20.2
Muffins 34,687,900 ↑ 34.2 8,281,368 ↑ 11.1
Cookies 267,010 ↓ 15.3 65,260 ↓ 25.2
Cheesecakes 65,972,950 ↑ 1.0 11,675,330 ↓ 4.1
Sweetgoods (excl cheesecakes) 202,731,600 ↓ 4.9 50,682,880 ↓ 8.7
Pie/Pastry Shells 131,978,400 ↑ 4.5 50,846,050 ↓ 1.2
Pies 333,940,400 ↓ 0.3 74,809,180 ↓ 0.6

Source: Infoscan Reviews, SymphonyIRI Group, July 11, 2010