Chef Team from Hong Kong and Taiwan Studies U.S. Beef Quality, Culture

USMEF recently brought a team of six chefs, an importer and a food processor from Taiwan and Hong Kong to the United States. The group visited Chicago and Austin to learn about U.S. beef production, alternative cuts, dry aging processes and Texas barbecue culture so they could better utilize and promote high-quality U.S. beef.

"Each chef has a high profile on social media and we saw this team as a step toward getting new farm-to-table content to consumers in Taiwan and Hong Kong," said USMEF Taiwan Senior Marketing Manager Alex Sun. "The chefs were already believers in U.S. beef, but now they have new ideas and are better able to promote U.S. beef as the world's best."

Sun and Hong Kong Marketing Manager Tonia Lai led the team on visits to restaurants and street vendors in Chicago, then the group toured the facilities of USMEF member Meats By Linz in northeast Indiana. The Austin trip featured visits to the Texas Beef Council, Graham Land & Cattle Feedyard and Stiles Switch BBQ.

At Meat By Linz, the team learned how the U.S. dry aging process differs from that in Taiwan and how it yields a better flavor. Sun said the team was also "deeply impressed" by Texas barbecue culture and products and enthusiastic about the possibility of new business opportunities with U.S. beef and barbecue. Team members reported numerous ideas for developing new recipes and processed products with U.S. beef.

Team members also explored new methods for utilizing secondary, alternative cuts of U.S. beef. Lai reports that one of the Hong Kong chefs is already working with local suppliers to bring in U.S. beef cuts not previously seen in Hong Kong.

Funding was provided by the Beef Checkoff Program and USDA's Market Access Program.

While visiting the country's largest dry age room at Meat By Linz, a chef team member from Hong Kong was shown an order he had recently placed with the company.