When Candice Choi launched her Korean seaweed snack brand, Geem, in 2023, she thought the company would be strictly direct-to-consumer, with its marketing strategy relying primarily on TikTok.

But within three months, the seaweed snacks were on the shelves of grocery stores, including some Whole Foods locations, where Geem chips sit next to kale chips and veggie straws.

“There was so much confluence of people being really excited about our snacks and stores really willing to take us on that was really, really exciting,” Choi told CNBC. “Traditionally, buyers are gatekeepers, and it takes years and years and years to develop those relationships, but they saw the category was growing, and we’ve been performing.”

Because of its explosive demand, Geem will be launching in Whole Foods stores across Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii in July, the company told CNBC exclusively.

Geem’s growth is indicative of a larger trend: As demand for global flavors in the U.S. rises, Asian grocery items are getting more of a spotlight in mainstream grocery stores, signaling an evolution beyond the traditional “ethnic aisle” of years past.

Those aisles typically included a limited selection of international products, often offering primarily sauces or oils. Now, grocery stores look much different.

“People are being exposed to newer flavors earlier on, and it’s no longer that weird snack that maybe you try once and you’re like, ‘No,’” Choi said. “It’s really exciting, and we’re seeing that taste profile really influence consumer demand. And you can see it in the numbers. Asian snacking is expected to go to multiple billions in the end of 2030, and that’s just the snacking.”

Research from global investment banking advisor BDA Partners estimates that the “ethnic aisle” generated $8.8 billion in sales in 2024, with Asian products growing nearly four times faster than the overall grocery sales. The U.S. Asian food market is projected to grow to $51.3 billion by 2031, with a 4.7% compounded annual growth rate, BDA said.

According to data from market research firm Circana, sales of Asian grocery items jumped from $1.57 billion in 2021 to over $2.31 billion this year.

That growth is multifaceted, Circana analyst Sally Wyatt told CNBC. The Pew Research Center has reported that the Asian population in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2000, growing to a 7% share of the total population. As that population grows, Wyatt said, so too has its influence, introducing new flavors to the rest of the country.

It’s a trend playing out at restaurants, too, but at a time when eating out is 4.3 times the cost of cooking at home, Wyatt said, the dynamic is most apparent in grocery stores.

“Especially as younger consumers are exploring, as consumers want to travel but maybe can’t, we do see that food and beverage is just a perfect way to get a taste of a culture that you might not be able to do every day,” she said. “So the flavors provide some unique experiences and can allow for culture exploration through food.”

Amazon‘s Whole Foods has also been increasing its investments in Asian flavors. Category merchant Julie Bandin said the grocery giant has seen demand grow “pretty tremendously,” and it’s also an area that’s seeing a lot of innovation.

Bandin said the growing interest is primarily driven by consumers who want to be more adventurous in the kitchen and are seeking out new items to help with that.

“We sell products that they can’t find anywhere else, and that really is a great bridge with our Asian brands,” Bandin said. “Every placement is intentional. It’s designed to spark curiosity … [by] getting that product straight to the consumer’s mouth.”

She added that the store is seeing Asian flavors emerge across categories, including beverages, sauces, frozen foods and more. After Indian sauce brand Gymkhana came to stores earlier this year, Bandin said, its explosive growth lifted the entire subcategory, including some legacy brands that weren’t otherwise seeing gains.

“Radically, across the store with these different categories … you just kind of see them marry up together, and that’s the hope for me — to see more proliferation in these flavor profiles, or in these Asian-specific brands that can be cross-merchandised,” Bandin said.

A Target spokesperson told CNBC that the company has seen demand for the Asian food and beverage category continue to grow. It’s been expanding the number of products and shelf space, including with recent additions such as ramen bowls and Asian Oreo flavors.

Choi, the founder of Geem seaweed snacks, said seeing her products in mainstream grocery stores means coming full circle for her experience as an Asian American.

Growing up, Choi said, her parents frequented both a specialty Asian store and a mainstream grocery store to stock their kitchen.

“Now, I just walk them to Whole Foods, and I’m like, ‘Look, my product! Our flavors are on the shelf,’” Choi said. “To them, that’s a true sign that they’ve made it. … it’s true acceptance from other cultures towards us for being who we are, unapologetically.”

— CNBC’s Natalie Rice contributed to this report.