Tropical Sun Foods has announced the launch of National Rice Week 2020, an initiative to highlight rice’s vital place at the centre of many world cuisines.
The campaign will run from 14-20 September in partnership with USA Rice, which represents America’s rice growers.
The brand will host a special event on 17 September which will be attended by India’s trade minister and mayors from Tropical Sun’s neighbouring local councils, Enfield, Barking and Dagenham.
The event, to be held at parent company Wanis International Foods in Leyton, East London, will involve guests tasting dishes served with Tropical Sun USA Easy cook rice, the firm’s flagship product for National Rice Week. The long grain rice is used in dishes from around the world, including Pilau Rice from South Asia, Jollof Rice from Nigeria and Rice & Peas from Jamaica.
“This year’s National Rice Week is especially important because of the need to preserve and pass on the legacy of rice dishes from different cultures around the world. These are currently enjoyed in the UK but could be lost within a generation as the British born second generation of young people from South Asian, West African and Caribbean backgrounds turn away from these traditional dishes in favour of fast food, takeaways and microwaveable snacks,” commented Paul Harrison, Tropical Sun Foods’ community brand ambassador.
“The danger is that if today’s teenagers lose interest in these recipes, they will no longer be passed on to posterity and a vital part of these diaspora groups’ cultural heritage will be lost. Another important factor is that fast food is linked to obesity, while these dishes are healthy, as well as tasty.”
Harrison said Tropical Sun doesn’t only want the National Rice Week message to reach the communities who brought these recipes here: “85% of the nation is Caucasian and we need to introduce them to these dishes as exciting and healthy additions to their repertoire. We have all the ingredients.”
