By Sue-Ann Wayow
MORE than US$5.5 million in distilled spirits were imported by Trinidad and Tobago from the US in 2024 and more than US$1 million in wines.
Trinidad and Tobago also imported more than US$4 million of fresh American grapes.
And millions more were imported in pork and beef products.
This was disclosed by the US Embassy in a media release on Wednesday as it hosted Trinidad and Tobago’s culinary leaders and influencers at an educational seminar and culinary tasting reception to showcase US food and beverage products the previous day.
The US exported about US$13.6 million of pork products and US$11.5 million of beef products to Trinidad and Tobago in 2024, the release stated.
The event was held in partnership with the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF).
It provided a chance for chefs, restaurateurs, food leaders and retail owners and managers to sample US beef and pork cuts, grapes from the state of California, wine from the state of Washington, bourbon from the state of Kentucky, and whiskey from the state of Tennessee, presented with a contemporary Caribbean twist, the release added.
US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Charlie Franta said, “We share so much with our Trinidad and Tobago friends and partners, through family ties, trade, education exchanges, business, and tourism on both sides. It was a natural fit for the US Department of Agriculture to host this event for professionals in Trinidad and Tobago’s food industry to showcase the best of US beef, pork, table grapes, beverages, and other great quality products the United States has to offer.”
Kaylee Greiner of the Texas Beef Council joined USMEF Representatives Elizabeth Wunderlich and Homero Recio in a live demonstration of food preparation to discuss what impacts meat quality and to help guests rediscover American beef and pork cuts in both classical and innovative recipes.
The featured American meats included beef cuts such as ribeye, sirloin, tomahawk, and short rib as well as innovative ways to prepare American pork featuring Boston butt and blade end rib cuts.
Director of the US Department of Agriculture’s Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade Office Katie Woody said, “US beef and pork are produced under strict food safety and animal welfare standards, offering consistent flavour, tenderness, and nutritional value. Their quality is matched by their adaptability in a wide range of culinary applications, from grilling and roasting, to stir-frying and slow cooking.”
The reception’s tasting menu featured a variety of recipes using American beef and pork with Caribbean-influenced flavours, such as Boston butt Geera pork cubes, coffee-rubbed flank steak with sorrel chutney, and pepper pot-inspired braised short ribs.
California grapes were on the menu, both fresh and roasted with ricotta on crostini.
For dessert, guests were treated to Twin Island bread pudding drizzled with American whiskey sauce.
California produces more than 99 per cent of the United States’ commercially grown grapes.
Featured wines were from the award-winning Chateau Ste Michelle and 14 Hands wineries from Washington state in the US Pacific Northwest region.
Washington is the second-largest wine producing state in the United States, with more than 1,000 wineries producing more than 10 million cases of wine each year.
And guests also sampled US bourbon from the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Kentucky and Tennessee whiskey from the Jack Daniel’s Distillery.
Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourbon are distinctly American spirits that are known for their premium quality.
