USMEF Cooking Schools Teach Consumers to Cook U.S. Pork and Beef with Confidence...

USMEF-Japan designed two recent cooking schools funded by the USDA’s Market Access Program to increase consumer confidence in U.S. beef and to familiarize consumers and traders with U.S. pork, which has the largest share of Japan’s imported pork market.

USMEF’s “U.S. pork is No.1 imported pork in Japan” campaign, which began in the fall of 2008, aims to remind buyers and consumers that U.S. product is the most popular imported pork because of its quality. A recent component of the campaign was a U.S. pork cooking school in Kagoshima prefecture at the San Royal Hotel, one of the best hotels in Kagoshima. The hotel’s executive chef, Chef Maekawa, a leading member of the All Japan Chef Association and a household name among chefs in Kagoshima, served as cooking instructor.

Chef Maekawa was known to prefer domestic pork for his dishes, and Kagoshima is famous for its “kurobuta” black hog products. After USMEF had introduced him to U.S. chilled pork, however, he discovered its high quality and that, unlike domestic products, there is no need to age it. He put U.S. chilled pork dishes on his menus and promoted them heavily on his lunch menus in January after the cooking school, reaching 8,000 people.

A Kagoshima television station publicized the cooking school before the event, and USMEF received more than 500 applications for 100 places. A three-minute spot after the school outlined U.S. pork’s positive attributes, the dishes involved and explained that U.S. pork is the No.1 imported pork.

Since the U.S. BSE finding in 2003, the process of rebuilding Japanese consumers’ confidence in the safety of U.S. beef has been crucial. To give consumers a hands-on experience with U.S. beef, USMEF recently conducted a U.S. beef cooking school in Okinawa that was attended by 70 consumers selected from more than 150 applicants.

The school was hosted by Chef Tamotsu Yabiku, the Loisir Hotel Naha’s executive chef, who introduced two U.S. beef recipes: U.S. grilled short rib salad and U.S. sirloin steak. As he cooked, he explained the positive attributes of U.S. beef, emphasizing its great taste. The excellent flavor, juiciness and tenderness he attributed to the U.S. practice of feeding cattle corn and soybeans. Those attending the event expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about U.S. beef from a trusted professional chef.  Comments included:

• “I would like to use U.S. beef when I cook steak at home.”
• “I have learned how safe U.S. beef is and how U.S. cattle are raised.”
• “Now I feel more comfortable buying U.S. beef.”

USMEF secured television coverage prior to the event on an Okinawa television station and a three-minute slot afterwards. USMEF held similar cooking schools at up-market hotels in Osaka and Fukuoka earlier in 2008 and has found them to be a great way to educate Japanese consumers.

USMEF-Japan designed two recent cooking schools funded by the USDA’s Market Access Program to increase consumer confidence in U.S. beef and to familiarize consumers and traders with U.S. pork, which has the largest share of Japan’s imported pork market.

USMEF’s “U.S. pork is No.1 imported pork in Japan” campaign, which began in the fall of 2008, aims to remind buyers and consumers that U.S. product is the most popular imported pork because of its quality. A recent component of the campaign was a U.S. pork cooking school in Kagoshima prefecture at the San Royal Hotel, one of the best hotels in Kagoshima. The hotel’s executive chef, Chef Maekawa, a leading member of the All Japan Chef Association and a household name among chefs in Kagoshima, served as cooking instructor.

Chef Maekawa was known to prefer domestic pork for his dishes, and Kagoshima is famous for its “kurobuta” black hog products. After USMEF had introduced him to U.S. chilled pork, however, he discovered its high quality and that, unlike domestic products, there is no need to age it. He put U.S. chilled pork dishes on his menus and promoted them heavily on his lunch menus in January after the cooking school, reaching 8,000 people.

A Kagoshima television station publicized the cooking school before the event, and USMEF received more than 500 applications for 100 places. A three-minute spot after the school outlined U.S. pork’s positive attributes, the dishes involved and explained that U.S. pork is the No.1 imported pork.

Since the U.S. BSE finding in 2003, the process of rebuilding Japanese consumers’ confidence in the safety of U.S. beef has been crucial. To give consumers a hands-on experience with U.S. beef, USMEF recently conducted a U.S. beef cooking school in Okinawa that was attended by 70 consumers selected from more than 150 applicants.

The school was hosted by Chef Tamotsu Yabiku, the Loisir Hotel Naha’s executive chef, who introduced two U.S. beef recipes: U.S. grilled short rib salad and U.S. sirloin steak. As he cooked, he explained the positive attributes of U.S. beef, emphasizing its great taste. The excellent flavor, juiciness and tenderness he attributed to the U.S. practice of feeding cattle corn and soybeans. Those attending the event expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about U.S. beef from a trusted professional chef.  Comments included:

• “I would like to use U.S. beef when I cook steak at home.”
• “I have learned how safe U.S. beef is and how U.S. cattle are raised.”
• “Now I feel more comfortable buying U.S. beef.”

USMEF secured television coverage prior to the event on an Okinawa television station and a three-minute slot afterwards. USMEF held similar cooking schools at up-market hotels in Osaka and Fukuoka earlier in 2008 and has found them to be a great way to educate Japanese consumers.