EU Dairy Seminars - European & Japanese Food: The Perfect Match! at Gaishoku Business Week 2021
Two seminars dedicated to European dairy products were held at Gaishoku Business Week 2021 as part of the EU's ' European & Japanese Food: The Perfect Match!' campaign.
Held on 7 and 8 October, the seminars introduced general EU dairy products, with the first shining a spotlight on European cheeses and the second on butters to give industry representatives a deeper understanding of the safety, quality, authenticity and sustainability of EU dairy products thanks to their deep connections to origins and traditional production methods.
Each session began with a presentation on safety, quality and Geographical Indications (GIs), as well as latest developments since the sigining of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) from EU representative Ms Megumi Kobayashi. Industry experts Mr Ryoichi Kawamura of Chesco and Mr Kenji Nakazawa of Nazakawa Dairy spoke on the benefits of EU food products and shared personal insights into their promotion in Japan in the context of the Perfect Match! campaign. Mr. Kawamura's presentation examined the trends of cheese within Japan over the past few decades, highlighting how certain foodie trends have boosted the demand for cheese over the years. Meanwhile, Mr. Nakazawa examined the history of butter in Europe, and shined a light on the distinct difference between butter production in Europe versus in Japan.
Adding flavour to the events were popular local chefs Haruyuki Yamashita and Koji Takayama, who each presented two unique Perfect Match! recipes created for the campaign, pairing EU dairy products with Japanese ingredients. Both chefs broke down their cooking process into extreme detail, captivating the audience with their insight.
The European Union would like to thank all 75 representatives from the Japanese food sector, including importers, buyers and HoReCa members, who took part to discover why European dairy products are the perfect match for customers in Japan.
