Central America Culinary Training

A SUSTA Chef Training Program

Two regions of the world, Central America and the southern United States, were united this summer through culinary tradition during SUSTA's Central America culinary training program. The two-week Central American culinary training course was the first of two that occurred in summer 2004 and is the fourth of five courses to date. "This year, we encouraged the chefs and culinary experts to utilize southern U.S. products in their countries' traditional recipes. The effects were great. The visitors from Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and the Caribbean loved using mirliton, okra, and catfish in place of some of their traditional products," explains SUSTA Marketing Director Shana Relle.

Not only was the Central American culinary training effective in fusing culinary traditions, it has also been the most effective SUSTA culinary program to date in incorporating multiple organizations involved in international trade. The Central American course united:

1. Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade Office (ATO)
2. The Catfish Institute
3. Alabama International Trade Center
4. Texas Department of Agriculture
5. Southern U.S. companies
6. John Folse Culinary Institute

Some of the chefs that attended SUSTA's training were recruited after their participation in the Caribbean Basin ATO's Great American Quality Program, which certifies international chefs in the quality preparation of American cuisine. During SUSTA's culinary training, Chef Patrice Coste of Aruba led a discussion for the Central American chefs about the benefits of the Quality Program. Since the training ended, a number of Central American chefs have registered for the 2005 Great American Quality Program.

The Catfish Institute has also benefited from SUSTA's international efforts. The Institute was enlisted to present southern U.S. catfish to the chefs. Chef Blake Swihart from the Institute demonstrated the variety of ways to prepare catfish and led a hands-on cooking session. In the end, the Central American and Caribbean chefs were taken with catfish and saw it as a tasty and superior alternative to their native tilapia. Several of the participating chefs rated this portion of the program as one of the best.

This year's chef training is also a follow-up on work previously done in SUSTA's 2002 Emerging Markets Program Central America Foodservice Initiative. The Alabama International Trade Center identified chefs for recruitment in the region and potential buyers in the industry.

Southern U.S. companies benefited too. Companies were given the opportunity to provide sample products for use in the program. Three companies from Texas donated product: Mama Said Specialties, Joy Peppers, and Kitchen Pride Mushroom Farms. All participating chefs were also given a complete list of SUSTA's MAP Branded companies and their products. In addition, they received a demonstration of SUSTA's web-based Directory of U.S. Suppliers and were encouraged to utilize this resource.

For the fourth year of the program, the John Folse Culinary Institute provided excellent region-based training, emphasizing the use of southern U.S. products, culinary traditions, and cooking techniques. The chefs learned gumbos, holiday foods, barbecues, cuisine from Florida and Puerto Rico, Tex-Mex, Cajun-Creole, foods of the Low Country, and southern U.S. baking. For a final exam, the participating chefs were asked to prepare their traditional dishes utilizing unfamiliar southern U.S. products.

Upon their return home, the chefs have made plans for future promotions and publicity events. Personnel from the John Folse Culinary Institute visited Costa Rica and El Salvador for two weeks in June 2004. During this visit, presentations on southern cuisine were given at two schools to audiences of approximately 200 persons. A follow-up visit was made to the school of Chef Jose Vasquez Cruz in El Salvador. U.S. Chef George Kaslow appeared on the Costa Rican television show of Chef Doris Kohn.

Additionally, several menu introductions were made in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Barbados and Aruba. SUSTA is planning an upcoming product demonstration with the Salvadoran and Costa Rican chefs. The events generated trade inquiries involving oysters, catfish and crawfish.

SUSTA will utilize the chefs in future promotions of southern food products. The chef training program will pay dividends for years to come for SUSTA and other trade organizations.

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