If it can be stir-fried or microwaved,...

If it can be stir-fried or microwaved, a food item stands a better chance of getting attention from importers in prosperous Asian countries, an Agriculture Department report says. Consumer tastes are changing in Asian nations. Fast foods, Western-style meals and a growing interest in healthful diets are making an impact. “Asian consumers are also returning to their culinary roots, seeking out traditional foods, but with a new twist: convenience,” said Violet Oon, a food editor in Singapore. “The result is a desire for tradition in a packet that can be defrosted or microwaved.” Oon, writing in the November issue of AgExporter magazine, said the new trends in Asian eating didn’t develop overnight. Basically, she said, the changes in consumer tastes are linked to rising disposable income, openness to imports, a receptive news media and growth of the middle class. Singapore is “on the leading edge in consumer tastes” among the countries of Southeast Asia, Oon said. As countries develop economically, more and more consumers eat out as women join the work force. And domestic help is hard to come by.