Turkish Tastes in the US

With the whole meals trade going via unprecedented challenges final yr, Aegean Exporters’ Associations took decisive steps to raise the publicity of Turkish Tastes within the US, beginning in Las Vegas, Nevada.

What’s Turkish Tastes and Who’s Aegean Exporters’ Associations?

Turkish Tastes is the model all Turkish meals and beverage exporters, beneath the umbrella of Turkish Exporters Meeting, are to advertise in worldwide advertising efforts. Aegean Exporters’ Associations, as a regional subsidiary of the meeting primarily based within the coastal aspect of western Turkey, is main a 4-year undertaking wherein Turkish Tastes is anticipated to obtain publicity by giant teams of American shoppers and foodservice professionals.

Information & Figures About AEA

The institution of the group goes again to Forties. In the present day, it consists of 12 associations, 6 of that are meals exporters. With greater than 3000 member firms, the product teams represented the via the associations are:

1. Dried Fruits & Nuts
2. Seafood
3. Olive & Olive Oil
4. Cereals, Pulses, and Oil Seeds
5. Processed Vegetable & Fruits
6. Herbs & Spices

Though we might hardly acknowledge Turkish manufacturers in retail shops, the full export quantity of the member firms to the US is price billions of {dollars} yearly. And, guess what? You’re almost definitely already utilizing Turkish components in your kitchen or incorporating them in your menus akin to dried apricots, oregano, and further virgin olive oil.

What Did AEA Accomplish for Turkish Tastes Final Yr Regardless of the Pandemic?

Earlier than going via the accomplishments, you should perceive the philosophy and the technique AEA constructed. The group seeks to ascertain a long-lasting Turkish Tastes model via sturdy partnerships, interact with foodservice professionals, and create consciousness in client teams. On this regard, the group achieved the next:

1. A sequence of 6 reside cooking occasions at UNLV’s Hospitality Kitchen the place Turkish producers featured meals merchandise. Throughout the cooking occasion, an academic presentation lives from Turkey was offered by the producer to incorporate diet data, historical past of the ingredient, and recipe concepts. The displays have been warmly obtained by the visitors which have been a mix of Professors / Educators inside the Hospitality Career, Vice Presidents of Meals and Beverage Operations, Gross sales Administrators of main Distributors/Purveyors alongside many On line casino Cooks.
2. A partnership with UNLV Faculty of Hospitality for the subsequent 5 years creating instructional content material selling Turkish Meals.
3. Introducing and conducting the first Annual Turkish Style Culinary Competitors in Las Vegas. Contestants have been premiere on line casino government cooks in Las Vegas, proprietor/chef of catering enterprise, educators/chef Teacher from UNLV Faculty of Hospitality and extra.
4. A bundle of artistic digital content material to extend consciousness, share the well being advantages of the components, and have interaction with the shoppers.

What Lies Forward in 2022 and Past?

The way forward for Aegean Exporters and the branding of Turkish components look promising. Because the group has began a buzz in Las Vegas, the plans for 2021 and shifting ahead embody:

• Host two main Meals Occasions the place skilled foodservice operators and retail operators straight interact with Turkish producers to check merchandise, style merchandise, and have interaction in establishing relations for potential enterprise alternatives.
• Aegean Exporters, partnered with UNLV and the Nevada Restaurant Affiliation, will publish a Turkish Delicacies reference guide, the primary of its sort. The guide’s focus is to supply shoppers and hospitality professionals complete content material on Turkish delicacies, components, and the well being advantages of a Mediterranean food regimen. As a bonus, the guide will embody 30 great-tasting Turkish recipes.
• The group gives persevering with training via Nevada’s Restaurant Affiliation and engages straight with eating places and foodservice operations themselves.

If you need extra data on the merchandise and upcoming occasions, please attain out to agr1@eib.org.tr. Additionally, it’s possible you’ll observe Turkish Tastes Official on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Within the following problems with F&B Journal, it is possible for you to to get detailed data on components and their high producers.

Did You Know? Turkey is…

• The most important provider of dried figs, dried apricots, and raisins.

• The most important provider of branzino (Mediterranean sea bass) and dorade (sea bream). In addition to a serious provider of bluefin tuna.

• The world’s 2nd largest olive and 4th largest olive oil provider.

• The world’s 2nd largest pasta producer.

• The most important tomato sauces, roasted eggplant, roasted pepper provider cumulatively.

• Dwelling to greater than 4500 herbs and spices the place oregano, thyme, bay (laurel) leaves, cumin, and sumac are cultivated and manufactured greater than wherever else on the earth.