ARLINGTON, VA – They say a great salesman could sell sawdust to a lumber mill, but what about selling U.S. rice to Asia? Just as challenging by any measure, and the latest episode of The Rice Stuff podcast, available now, dives into the subject.
USA Rice Vice President of International Sarah Moran is back and joined by USA Rice Director of Asia Promotions Jim Guinn to discuss where in Asia we export rice to, the differences in the various markets, and how they are able to make U.S. rice appeal to very rice-savvy consumers.
“In the U.S., Americans still largely purchase rice based on price, advertising, and an eye-catching package,” said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of domestic promotion and podcast co-host. “But in Asia your consumers are so rice literate, they know exactly what they are looking for in grain shape and color, aroma, and taste – these are very discerning customers and it was fascinating to hear the promotion team explain how they clear those hurdles.”
Klein and show co-host Lesley Dixon also discussed how local food pride can impact us here in the U.S. – from bagels to tacos – and they asked listeners to share their stories of food pride or food appropriation gone wrong.
“We always want listeners to touch base with us on what we’re talking about – whether by email or Tweet, or by leaving us a voicemail on our website,” said Klein.
New episodes of
The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. All episodes and additional information can be found on the podcast’s dedicated website at
thericestuffpodcast.com. The site includes a “Podcast 101” section on the “About” page for people new to the medium and a means to reach out to the show hosts and guests via the “Talk to Us” button.