Land of the rising sushi (and the falling spring roll)

Fresh or fried; sushi, spring or both — which way do you roll? According to the latest figures from Roy Morgan Research, sushi’s popularity is on the rise while spring rolls appear to be gradually falling out of favour. But are sushi lovers really so different to spring-roll fans? Roll up and read on…

Between July 2009 and June 2014, the proportion of Australians who say they like eating sushi has grown from 36% to 40%. Over the same period, the proportion who like eating spring rolls has declined slightly from 37% to 35%. A similar downward trend can be seen with other fried foods such as Dim Sims, Chiko Rolls and fries/hot chips.

Sushi rolls are more popular among women (43%) than men (37%), while the opposite is true of spring rolls, enjoyed by 37% of men and 34% of women.

Australians aged under 50 are more likely than their older counterparts to enjoy both food types, with 18-24 year-olds showing the most enthusiasm for sushi (52%) and under-18s being the biggest spring roll fans (50%). In both cases, Aussies aged 65+ are the age group least likely to enjoy these foods.

Sushi vs spring rolls: who likes eating what?

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), July 2013-June 2014, n= 16,809

Healthy or tasty?

The main differences between fans of sushi and spring rolls emerge when their attitudes to food are compared, with the former being noticeably more concerned with their health and weight.

For example, people who like eating sushi are more likely than those who like spring rolls to agree with the following statements:

• I prefer to eat healthy snacks
• I restrict how much I eat of fattening foods
• The food I eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian

In contrast, spring-roll lovers are more likely to agree that:

• I often buy takeaway food to eat at home
• Taste is more important than ingredients
• I often buy frozen or chilled ready-prepared meals

Angela Smith, Group Account Director, Roy Morgan Research, says:

"There’s no doubt that Australia is the land of the rising sushi, with new sushi outlets springing up quicker than sushi fans can get to them. And if this popularity continues to grow, we’ll no doubt see more of them.

“Commonly perceived as a healthy food, sushi is especially favoured by people who watch what they eat. Fried spring rolls, on the other hand, attract an above-average proportion of people who care more about taste and convenience than calories. Both food types are more popular with Australians aged under 50, and with those who agree that they ‘enjoy food from all over the world’.

“Of course, many of us like both sushi and spring rolls, depending on what’s available and whether we’re in the mood for fresh or fried food. But the fact that more of us are developing a taste for sushi while fewer are enjoying spring rolls and other fried food suggests that our appetite for fresh is winning out…”