SANTIAGO, CHILE — Last week, USA Rice exhibited at Espacio Food Service (EF&S), Chile’s premier food industry trade show, as part of the USA Pavilion. The three-day event brought together more than 50,000 visitors and provided an important opportunity for USA Rice to showcase the quality and variety of U.S.-origin rice to Chilean and food industry professionals of the Andean region and beyond.
The event opened with welcome remarks from U.S. Ambassador to Chile Brandon Judd, who greeted the crowd that represented more than 20 U.S. cooperators participating in the USA Pavilion. Throughout the show, cooperators staffed their booths and engaged with visitors representing the hotel, restaurant, institutional, supermarket, and fast-food sectors.
EF&S, along with ALIMENTEC in Colombia, are key professional food fairs in Latin America, and EF&S is considered an important gateway to the broader Latin American market. The show attracts key decision-makers and buyers from across the foodservice and retail sectors, making it an ideal venue for USA Rice to build awareness and develop new trade opportunities.
Asiha Grigsby, Senior Director of International Promotion for the Western Hemisphere and the USA Rice South American team spent the show educating visitors about U.S.-origin rice and introducing them to the range of varieties grown by U.S. farmers. Ambassador Judd also stopped by the USA Rice booth to personally welcome the team and learn more about the U.S. rice varieties available in Chile. He received a Think Rice lapel pin as a memento of his visit.
“Chile is an exciting market with growing potential for U.S. rice, particularly as consumers and foodservice professionals discover the versatility of short and medium grain varieties,” said Grigsby. “The enthusiasm we saw at Espacio Food Service was encouraging, and we were pleased to have so many meaningful conversations with potential trade partners about the quality and diversity of U.S.-grown rice.”
Interest in short and medium grain rice dominated many of the conversations at the USA Rice booth. Sushi rice varieties are currently available in Chile, providing an important opportunity for USA Rice to connect with buyers and foodservice professionals interested in expanding their use of U.S.-origin rice.
USA Rice also teamed up with JFC, a leading worldwide distributor of U.S. rice, to promote medium grain Nishiki brand rice during a 30-minute cooking demonstration at the Sabor USA demonstration kitchen. Chefs prepared two recipes — rice pudding and chocolate rice torte — while educating a packed audience about U.S.-origin rice and the many ways the grain can be incorporated into both traditional and innovative dishes. The demonstration gave attendees an opportunity to experience firsthand how short grain rice can be used in desserts and other creative preparations.
With its strong attendance and broad representation from across the Latin American food industry, Espacio Food Service provided USA Rice with an important platform to promote U.S.-grown rice and cultivate new relationships. USA Rice was pleased to engage with so many enthusiastic potential trade leads throughout the show and looks forward to building on those connections as opportunities for U.S. rice continue to develop in Chile and throughout South America.