AIT Presents "New Orleans Cajun and Jazz Flavors"
The Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) of the American Institute in Taiwan, in cooperation with the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), is pleased to launch its "New Orleans Cajun and Jazz Flavors" promotion in April to promote Cajun cuisine and jazz music in Taiwan.
ATO is pleased at this unique opportunity to introduce Taiwan to true Cajun cooking, the freshest ingredients, and authentic Cajun spices. The keystone of the promotion is a two-week visit to Taiwan by the celebrated Cajun chef Roy Lyons, who from April 10 - 22 will work his Cajun culinary magic at events including hotel and restaurant menu promotions, a professional "Best of Louisiana" chef competition, Cajun cooking training seminars, and retail promotions aimed at showcasing some of the best southeastern U.S. ingredients and cuisine. Chef Roy, a multi-award winning Cajun chef and owner of Louisiana's Frog City Cafe will develop menus, oversee kitchens and recommend recipes that mesh well with the Taiwanese palate and local dining preferences. In tandem with Chef Roy's events in Taiwan, ATO is promoting many high-quality U.S. ingredients, such as U.S. beef, pork, poultry, rice, and potatoes, among many others.
More than 25 restaurants in Taiwan are expected to participate in Chef Roy's training programs and will offer Cajun dishes through the end of May. These restaurants will participate in a lucky draw through Jason's Market Place, a co-sponsor of this event and purveyor of many of Chef Roy's favorite American ingredients, including pepper sauces, Cajun seasonings, pork, beef, poultry, and many other products. The final grand prize will be a United Airlines round-trip ticket to the United States. The drawing will take place on June 15, 2007.
Chef Roy can be observed in action on the following dates:
- Wednesday, April 11, 14:00-17:00 - Taipei Vocational Cooking School in Tienmu - Chef Training: Jambalaya Challenge
- Friday evening, April 13 - Capone's Restaurant, Taipei - Cajun Buffet and Jazz Combo
- Saturday, April 14, 12:00-14:00 - Jason's Taipei 101 Food Court - Cajun Cooking Demonstration
- Saturday, April 14, 14:00-17:30 - Panorama - The Best 85 Restaurant, Jambalaya Judgment Culinary Competition
- Sunday, April 15, 11:00-13:30 - Cosmopolitan Restaurant, Taipei - Cajun Brunch
- Sunday, April 15, 14:00-16:00 - Jason's Taipei 101 Food Court - Cajun Cooking Demonstration
- Wednesday evening, April 18 - The Bayou, Kaohsiung - Cajun Set Menu
Even after Chef Roy returns to Louisiana, Cajun cuisine and jazz-related activities will continue to the end of May. All are welcome to join the ATO, SUSTA and their many food industry partners to enjoy the Cajun flavors of New Orleans.
Cajun culture and food, centered on the southeastern state of Louisiana and its largest city, New Orleans, draws deeply from the rich traditions of early French immigrants, African Americans and Native Americans. It is a "fusion cuisine" with roots that go back over 300 years. Cajun cuisine is a recognized branch of the culinary arts; Louisiana French remains a living language; New Orleans and Louisiana remain steeped in French colonial traditions; and jazz, a musical form born in the lower Mississippi Delta largely out of African-American musical traditions, has become a worldwide phenomenon.
For more information on the proposed activities, please contact Jeff Miller, ATO Marketing Specialist, at (02)2705 6536. For an introduction to Chef Roy Lyons, please click here. AIT webpage on New Orleans Cajun and Jazz Flavors: http://www.ait.org.tw/en/agriculture/ato/200704-Cajun/
New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, the birthplaces of Cajun food and Jazz music, were hit by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and are now engaged in a major rebuilding effort. The U.S. Federal Government has enacted the Gulf Opportunity Zone ("GO Zone") Act, which offers a broad package of extremely attractive investment incentives to investors in the region. Detailed information about the GO Zone is available online at www.gozoneguide.com.