Navy Chef Competition Highlights US-Russia WWII Commemoration
Navy Chef Competition Highlights US-Russia WWII Commemoration
On May 10, a friendly culinary showdown between Russian and American navy chefs in Vladivostok, Russia, provided the setting as a number of local restaurant chefs, food industry leaders and media in this eastern Russian port city were exposed to high-quality cuts of U.S. pork and beef.
The crew of the USS Blue Ridge arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, this week for the festivities marking the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. This was the 7th Fleet’s flagship’s sixth visit to Vladivostok, which is the main base of the Russian navy’s Pacific Fleet. Along with their Russian counterparts, U.S. crew members paid tribute to the memory of World War II veterans and the American and Soviet soldiers who were killed in the war.
The visit featured many cultural and sporting events, including a USMEF-sponsored cooking competition matching U.S. and Russian navy chefs. Five pairs of chefs participated, with one U.S. chef and one Russian chef competing on each team. While the competition was friendly, the teams’ cooking skills were well-tested - with each having only 15 minutes to prepare culinary masterpieces featuring U.S. beef and pork. Judges included several U.S. and Russian navy officers, U.S. Consulate Officer Dan Sweet, Tatyana Kalenik, director of the Institute of Food Technologies and Commodity Science, and Roman Ivanischev, general director of Russia’s Anons Restaurant Agency and president of the Far Eastern Restaurateur and Hotelier Association.
U.S. and Russian navy chefs prepare U.S. beef and pork in Vladivostok
“Cooking is beyond politics, and such events prove that Russians and the Americans are getting on well, keeping friendly relations and mutual respect,” said Ivanischev in the Vladivostok Times. “What is the most suitable place to chat about everyday life’s urgent problems? No doubt, it is the kitchen. It is very important that we are holding this event in the framework of the Victory Day celebration, which is our common holiday.”
“This event was a great opportunity for this region’s chefs and food industry leaders to learn more about the quality of U.S. beef and pork,” said Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF-Moscow manager. “Media coverage of the event was very positive, and the rebounding economy in Russia makes this market a prime target for U.S. red meat exports.”
Support for the competition, which was held at Fabrica, a well-known Vladivostok restaurant, was provided by the Beef Checkoff and Pork Checkoff Programs and the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP). Each participant received a certificate of achievement from USMEF.
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.
Navy Chef Competition Highlights US-Russia WWII Commemoration
On May 10, a friendly culinary showdown between Russian and American navy chefs in Vladivostok, Russia, provided the setting as a number of local restaurant chefs, food industry leaders and media in this eastern Russian port city were exposed to high-quality cuts of U.S. pork and beef.
The crew of the USS Blue Ridge arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, this week for the festivities marking the 65th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. This was the 7th Fleet’s flagship’s sixth visit to Vladivostok, which is the main base of the Russian navy’s Pacific Fleet. Along with their Russian counterparts, U.S. crew members paid tribute to the memory of World War II veterans and the American and Soviet soldiers who were killed in the war.
The visit featured many cultural and sporting events, including a USMEF-sponsored cooking competition matching U.S. and Russian navy chefs. Five pairs of chefs participated, with one U.S. chef and one Russian chef competing on each team. While the competition was friendly, the teams’ cooking skills were well-tested - with each having only 15 minutes to prepare culinary masterpieces featuring U.S. beef and pork. Judges included several U.S. and Russian navy officers, U.S. Consulate Officer Dan Sweet, Tatyana Kalenik, director of the Institute of Food Technologies and Commodity Science, and Roman Ivanischev, general director of Russia’s Anons Restaurant Agency and president of the Far Eastern Restaurateur and Hotelier Association.
U.S. and Russian navy chefs prepare U.S. beef and pork in Vladivostok
“Cooking is beyond politics, and such events prove that Russians and the Americans are getting on well, keeping friendly relations and mutual respect,” said Ivanischev in the Vladivostok Times. “What is the most suitable place to chat about everyday life’s urgent problems? No doubt, it is the kitchen. It is very important that we are holding this event in the framework of the Victory Day celebration, which is our common holiday.”
“This event was a great opportunity for this region’s chefs and food industry leaders to learn more about the quality of U.S. beef and pork,” said Galina Kochubeeva, USMEF-Moscow manager. “Media coverage of the event was very positive, and the rebounding economy in Russia makes this market a prime target for U.S. red meat exports.”
Support for the competition, which was held at Fabrica, a well-known Vladivostok restaurant, was provided by the Beef Checkoff and Pork Checkoff Programs and the USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP). Each participant received a certificate of achievement from USMEF.
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
For more information, contact Jim Herlihy at jherlihy@usmef.org.
USMEF complies with all equal opportunity, non-discrimination and affirmative action measures applicable to it by contract, government rule or regulation or as otherwise provided by law.