TORONTO, CANADA – In a multicultural country like Canada, it’s no surprise the food industry continues to be shaped and influenced by cuisines and cultures from around the world. Canadians are known for their “cuisine curiosity” and willingness to explore flavor profiles outside their culinary comfort zone so for National Rice month this September, USA Rice partnered with Food Network Canada, the experiential and social epicenter of food entertainment, to help expand awareness of the versatility of rice with creative takes on global dishes.
The sponsored content with Food Network Canada represented a diverse offering of global dishes made with U.S.-grown rice that included a custom recipe roundup titled “
7 Delectable Rice Recipes to Enjoy This Fall,” as well as a Facebook post promoting the article. The Facebook post has garnered more than 20,000 clicks to date, all of which link back to the article.
Two of these seven new, delectable recipes were created by award-winning Canadian chefs:
Spicy Tuna Poké Rice Sandwich made by Keith Pears, executive chef of The W Hotel Toronto, and
Horchata Crème Brûlée made by Chef Erica, owner of Karbs Catering. Both chefs won their respective seasons on Chopped (a Food Network Canada televised cooking competition) and endorsed cooking with U.S.-grown rice by speaking to the origin and versatility benefits of the grain. Collectively, the partnership garnered more than 1.6 million impressions to date, including a re-post of the article on Chef Keith’s Instagram Stories.
“USA Rice is excited to continue to integrate the perspectives of influential foodservice professionals who bring diverse palates and flavor fusions that drive further awareness of U.S. rice for Canadian consumers,” said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of international promotion. “Food Network Canada has proven to be a perfect partner in this endeavor.”
In the first eight months of this year, the U.S. exported nearly 166,000 MT of rice to Canada, valued at $148.8 million.