OTTOWA, CANADA – It’s a fact: consumers love to experiment in the kitchen. A recent survey conducted here found 45 percent of Canadians are motivated to try new recipes. With this in mind, USA Rice Canada saw an opportunity to increase awareness of the rice crouton concept introduced in May this year.
In September, USA Rice forged a partnership with Jamaican-Canadian Celebrity Chef Adrian Forte to infuse the rice crouton campaign with his trend-setting style that sparked excitement amongst consumers as demonstrated by their positive social media posts.
“Our new rice croutons elaborate on the traditional crouton but, instead of bread, are made with rice molded into different shapes such as spooky eyeballs for Halloween or bold heart shapes that declare the cook’s love for U.S.-origin rice,” said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of international promotion for the Western Hemisphere.
Chef Adrian is an expert on Caribbean cuisine and created three unique rice crouton recipes that were showcased on his social media platforms. The same posts, shared on USA Rice Canada’s social channels, garnered more than 16,200 views.
A follow-up
article in Canada’s
National Post talked about the versatility of rice croutons and how they are a uniquely delicious way to rethink rice. Chef Adrian’s three recipes accompanied the story that was published in print as well as online, resulting in 2,846,000 impressions.
“USA Rice Canada is inspiring Canadian home cooks with these bite-sized delights that demonstrate the flavor-filled versatility of U.S. rice,” said Grigsby. “The 2021 promotion will continue throughout the year, incorporating new crouton concepts based on seasonal occasions in a combination of sweet and savory recipes.”