Rita Hutchinson
July 31, 2008
Helen Ann Hebert Martin
August 4, 2008
The Far East got a taste of southern U.S. cuisine thanks to a Nicholls State culinary professor.
Chef George Kaslow, assistant professor of culinary arts, returned from a two-week stay in Taiwan where he conducted cooking demonstrations and teaching seminars.
Kaslow and his Taiwanese collaborators also presented eight dishes representing eight American southern regions during a four-day promotion, “U.S. Foods with a Flair.”
The American Institute in Taiwan’s Agricultural Trade Office and the Southern United States Trade Association jointly sponsored the trip.
The goal was to introduce American Southern cuisine, such as jambalaya, to Asian culinary markets.
“Taiwan is the jumping off point for China,” Kaslow said. “What succeeds in Taiwan will succeed on the mainland, the biggest market in the world.”
The trip completed the second half of a cultural immersion program. In May, the John Folse Culinary Institute hosted 12 visiting chefs from the island nation.
The Culinary Institute’s involvement with the international SUSTA program may lead to future projects like reverse trade missions, culinary student exchange programs and a proposed faculty exchange program with Kaohsiung Hospitality College.
“Such programs allow Nicholls to reach out to partners in international education and trade, forming new relationships,” Kaslow said.
In previous years, Nicholls’ SUSTA program has welcomed chefs from Russia, Hungary, Mexico, Thailand, Canada, Croatia and several Latin American countries.
Nicholls State University Chef George Kaslow, assistant professor of culinary arts, has returned from a two-week stay in Taiwan where he conducted cooking demonstrations and teaching seminars. * File Photo • Tri-Parish Times
