Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Ted Hornung has been opening up new markets for Saskatchewan agritourism operators for 30 years. He is currently Manager of International Marketing at Tourism Saskatchewan, and he’s working on a new itinerary for an emerging segment of the Japanese market that stars locally grown foods.
“When we look at our product knowledge of the Japanese market, we find there is a lot of interest in learning Western-style cooking,” Hornung says. “There is this fascination with making pickles, jams, perogies—the Japanese themselves make a type of dumpling called ‘gyeoza’ that looks like a perogy, and is made with vegetables and pork.
“Saskatchewan is still known as the breadbasket of the world in Japan,” according to Hornung. “The Japanese use canola and sunflower oil in their cooking, and they know it is produced in Saskatchewan. They also know much of the barley and malt used in Japanese beer there comes from here.”
Hornung decided to act on what he saw as an opportunity after meeting a successful Tokyo entrepreneur who runs a cuisine school called Studio MOW.
“In Ms. Tanishima’s establishment, people learn how to cook high-end Japanese foods featuring North American organic vegetables, among others. It seems many Japanese people also exhibit a desire to learn as much as possible about Western culture, not the least element of which is our cooking traditions. They generate genuine delight in Japan, which suggests there are untapped opportunities for Saskatchewan agritourism operators, as well, because nothing makes food stand out like understanding how it is produced.”
It seems travel patterns are changing in the Land of the Rising Sun. Wives and husbands often go on holidays independently, allowing the development of themed excursions that may appeal more to specialized segments, such as small groups of women interested in Saskatchewan foods and in how they are prepared into meals, explains Hornung.
“They may go in groups of five or six women at a time. They seek higher-end comforts, yes, and the type of exquisite scenery one finds in rural Saskatchewan. Some of our rural operators have these kinds of facilities. Many of these women speak English. They would be looking at a seven-to-10 day guided tour around different times of the year.”
An Easter theme may involve a ham preparation class; a fall or winter tour could explore the world of fowl, turkey and stuffing—including the fine art of making pumpkin pie.
The itinerary Hornung is working on right now covers the hearty Prairie breakfast, saskatoon berry jam and bannock, and pickling, as well as other traditional activities like quilting, which is very popular in Japan.
“Depending on interests, this tour could include a visit to a ranch where the livestock is raised. It could include even a horseback riding component; there might be an Aboriginal cuisine element, and even a visit to grocery store where Saskatchewan foods are featured.”
Clearly, a greater awareness by consumers around the world of the quality and diversity of the foods we produce can only help open new markets for Saskatchewan agricultural and food products.
Only time will tell how much the emerging gastronomical tour idea catches on in Asia. But if it does, the industry as a whole will benefit, and the incentive to develop new added-value product will only become greater.
For more information, contact:
Ted Hornung
Manager, International Marketing
Tourism Saskatchewan
(306) 787-3016
Ted Hornung has been opening up new markets for Saskatchewan agritourism operators for 30 years. He is currently Manager of International Marketing at Tourism Saskatchewan, and he’s working on a new itinerary for an emerging segment of the Japanese market that stars locally grown foods.
“When we look at our product knowledge of the Japanese market, we find there is a lot of interest in learning Western-style cooking,” Hornung says. “There is this fascination with making pickles, jams, perogies—the Japanese themselves make a type of dumpling called ‘gyeoza’ that looks like a perogy, and is made with vegetables and pork.
“Saskatchewan is still known as the breadbasket of the world in Japan,” according to Hornung. “The Japanese use canola and sunflower oil in their cooking, and they know it is produced in Saskatchewan. They also know much of the barley and malt used in Japanese beer there comes from here.”
Hornung decided to act on what he saw as an opportunity after meeting a successful Tokyo entrepreneur who runs a cuisine school called Studio MOW.
“In Ms. Tanishima’s establishment, people learn how to cook high-end Japanese foods featuring North American organic vegetables, among others. It seems many Japanese people also exhibit a desire to learn as much as possible about Western culture, not the least element of which is our cooking traditions. They generate genuine delight in Japan, which suggests there are untapped opportunities for Saskatchewan agritourism operators, as well, because nothing makes food stand out like understanding how it is produced.”
It seems travel patterns are changing in the Land of the Rising Sun. Wives and husbands often go on holidays independently, allowing the development of themed excursions that may appeal more to specialized segments, such as small groups of women interested in Saskatchewan foods and in how they are prepared into meals, explains Hornung.
“They may go in groups of five or six women at a time. They seek higher-end comforts, yes, and the type of exquisite scenery one finds in rural Saskatchewan. Some of our rural operators have these kinds of facilities. Many of these women speak English. They would be looking at a seven-to-10 day guided tour around different times of the year.”
An Easter theme may involve a ham preparation class; a fall or winter tour could explore the world of fowl, turkey and stuffing—including the fine art of making pumpkin pie.
The itinerary Hornung is working on right now covers the hearty Prairie breakfast, saskatoon berry jam and bannock, and pickling, as well as other traditional activities like quilting, which is very popular in Japan.
“Depending on interests, this tour could include a visit to a ranch where the livestock is raised. It could include even a horseback riding component; there might be an Aboriginal cuisine element, and even a visit to grocery store where Saskatchewan foods are featured.”
Clearly, a greater awareness by consumers around the world of the quality and diversity of the foods we produce can only help open new markets for Saskatchewan agricultural and food products.
Only time will tell how much the emerging gastronomical tour idea catches on in Asia. But if it does, the industry as a whole will benefit, and the incentive to develop new added-value product will only become greater.
For more information, contact:
Ted Hornung
Manager, International Marketing
Tourism Saskatchewan
(306) 787-3016
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