With Honduras becoming an important tourist destination, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) recently hosted training seminars for chefs of resorts and hotels. USMEF Mexico Corporate Chef German Navarrete helped chefs to develop new feature items for their menus.
“We carried out a series of seminars for hotels and restaurants in the region, so they know how to use and how to create some new proposals using U.S. beef and U.S. pork,” Navarrete says.
During the seminars, chefs had a variety of ingredients to choose from where they could come up with dishes according to the taste of their customers and the tourists that visit the region.
“This is really like a paradise, so people are going there to have a good time, to eat well, so having these wonderful creations that they came up with will be a very good way of keeping them coming back and giving them a wonderful experience that only U.S. beef and U.S. pork can provide,” Navarette says.
People really want good U.S. product, but also they want a local taste.
“It was fascinating to see what they came up with using plantains, mangos and coconut, which applied to all these wonderful U.S. beef and pork products,” Navarette says. “The outcome was absolutely outstanding. I took some very good ideas for myself and for other regions around the world.”
The seminars were funded through support from Wisconsin Beef Council and USDA.
USMEF reports strong demand from the restaurant and hospitality sectors, which helped drive U.S. red meat exports to Central America in 2024. Data through November showed pork exports to the region reached an annual record of $450 million. Beef exports to Central America were also very strong, with value increasing 9% year-over-year to $147 million.
Your next read: With More Arctic Air Set to Blast the U.S., Why This Winter Could Be Remembered for Its Extremes
