Jul 13, 2017
SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA – Late last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture hosted a cooking event with the U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Stafford Haney. USA Rice was one of the groups that supported this culinary diplomacy event, which shared Cajun cooking with Costa Rican chefs and consumers. Chef Ryan Hughes and Ambassador Haney cooked a Cajun chicken étoufée, utilizing U.S. rice.
“Cajun cooking is all about the layering of spices and flavors,” said Chef Hughes, who can normally be found at Purloo, his restaurant inside the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in New Orleans. “Building one spice upon another is what makes this tasty dish a staple in Southern cooking.”
Chef Hughes continued, “This [U.S.] rice that we import [here], it’s got this beautiful shine to it.”
“Local media outlets covered the event, commenting on the tasty and diverse flavors of Louisiana,” said Hugh Maginnis, USA Rice vice president international. “We know they hold U.S.-grown rice in high regard here as Costa Rica has imported over 70,000 MT - valued at nearly $20 million - in the first five months of this year, 41 percent more than the same time period last year.”