Foodservice chefs give U.S. rice a thumbs up
Jun 16, 2022
TAKORADI, GHANA – Last month, USA Rice hosted an educational seminar series here for more than 200 professional cooks who ply their trade in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolitan area, working in foodservice stalls where they create local dishes, many that are rice-based.
In the past six months, USA Rice has given similar seminars in Kumasi and Accra, the other two legs that make up Ghana’s so-called Golden Triangle.
“The seminars include presentations highlighting the processes, production areas, and grades of U.S. rice available in Ghana, and we talk about the quality attributes, and health and nutrition benefits that make U.S. rice the origin of choice for many traditional caterers here,” said Eszter Somogyi, USA Rice director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “Participants are enthusiastic, asking questions and sharing their ideas for best practices.”
After everyone enjoyed a taste test of Texas Star rice donated by a local U.S. rice importer, they completed a survey to gauge their knowledge of U.S. rice. USA Rice also shared contact details for all the U.S. rice wholesalers and retailers in the area.
“U.S.-origin rice is especially valued by foodservice providers here for its cooking qualities,” said Somogyi. “However, strong price competition from Asian suppliers and recent problems with availability of U.S. rice due to shipping challenges make it even more important that we stay engaged with this market.”
Ghana imported 597,000 MT of rice in 2021, the majority of which was the fragrant jasmine variety from Vietnam and Thailand, as well as India, Pakistan, and China. U.S. rice exports to Ghana amounted to 6,300 MT in 2021 with a value of $3.9 million USD.