Japanese video crew highlights sorghum's food value
The Sorghum Checkoff and the U.S. Grains Council hosted a Japanese video crew to Texas and Kansas in November in an effort to increase awareness about sorghum as a healthy food option in Japan.
The crew shot video that was edited into an Japanese infomercial explaining the health benefits of sorghum. The video aired for the first time at a sorghum symposium in Tokyo where Japanese chefs prepared traditional dishes using sorghum. Texas A&M University sorghum food researcher, Lloyd Rooney, spoke about the sorghum food industry in the U.S.
“We hope this mission will help to build a refreshed identity for sorghum as a new healthy grains option in Japan,” Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director said. “By demonstrating how we grow, store, process and utilize sorghum in the U.S., we hope to establish a positive brand for sorghum in Japan and the rest of Southeast Asia.”
The group visited Texas A&M University in College Station where they interviewed several researchers working on sorghum and shot video of the sorghum food production process. They also shot video of a local grocery store selling sorghum-based foods and visited an elevator to learn more about the sorghum storage process.
While in Kansas, the group shot video of sorghum harvest and different varieties of sorghum.
They also sampled many different sorghum foods prepared by researchers at Kansas State University and USDA. Barbra Kliment of the Nebraska Grain Sorghum Producers hosted a test kitchen where she prepared several sorghum dishes and explained how sorghum can provide simple, family-friendly meals.
Japan is the third largest importer of U.S sorghum and primarily utilizes the grain in their livestock industry. By promoting sorghum as a healthy food product, the Sorghum Checkoff hopes to increase demand for sorghum and increase profitability for sorghum farmers.
“Sorghum is a nutrient rich whole grain with potential health attributes, such as antioxidants, which are very attractive to the Japanese public,” Lopez said. “We look forward to working with the U.S. Grains Council to further promote sorghum in Japan as a healthy whole grain.”