Young chefs grade U.S. rice
Aug 24, 2022
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – USA Rice recently partnered with Chef Xiang Fu Wang to host an educational seminar here targeting aspiring young chefs and focused on introducing diversified U.S. rice varieties available in the Taiwan market including short grain glutinous rice, medium grain, long grain, and jasmine.
Chef Wang is a renowned creator of Japanese cuisine. He is also very influential in the culinary community as the secretary general of the Taiwan Junior Chefs Association, an organization whose members are between the ages of 18 and 50.
The ten chefs who attended the seminar ranged from owners of independent operations to head chefs of restaurant chains that serve different cuisines such as Japanese sushi, Korean barbecue, Chinese seafood, Indian food, and Asian fusion menus.
“USA Rice staff opened the seminar by sharing information on U.S. rice variety characteristics, including sensory analysis and cooking attributes,” said Jim Guinn, USA Rice director of Asia promotion programs. “This was followed by a guided tasting of rice varieties led by Chef Wang.”
Each participant was asked to complete a questionnaire, submitting feedback on each type of rice, as well as suggestions on how U.S. rice could be used in different dishes. Those interested in working with U.S.-grown rice will be candidates for collaborations in future USA Rice promotions.
Taiwan is the U.S. third largest export market in Asia, averaging 57,000 MT valued at about $34 million annually for the past five years.