Andalusian companies present their gastronomic offer to more than 200 importers and chefs in Japan

Andalusia is the second exporting community to Japan

In a promotional action organized by the Ministry of Knowledge, Research and University, through Extenda-Andalusian Foreign Promotion Agency. 

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A total of five Andalusian companies of the food industry have participated in a presentation of products from the region at the Hattori Culinary School of Japan in a promotional action organized by the Ministry of Knowledge, Research and Universitythrough Extenda-Andalusian Foreign Promotion Agency. 

 

This action aims to publicize the culinary possibilities of Andalusian quality products to promote the entry of brands from the region into the japanese market, in which Andalusian agri-food exports They doubled in less than a decade, up to 155 million euros in 2017. 

 

For this, two days of showcooking with more than two hundred professionals and amateur chefs that were carried out by the chef Maria Jose San Roman, which has a Michelin star and is the owner of Alicante Gourmet Group, among which stands out the restaurant Monastrell, and which offered several recipes with Andalusian products within the framework of the Japanese school. 

 

Hattori It is one of the largest and most prestigious cooking schools in Japan. Your president, Yukio Hattori, is a professional chef with a high interest in foreign cuisines who has been organizing conferences with world-renowned chefs and who has a special interest in Spanish gastronomy. His recognition throughout the East Asian area makes him one of the most essential professionals to understand the fusion between the food cultures of East and West.

 

The Andalusian delegation that participated in the two gastronomic days was made up of three companies from Cordoba (Bodegas Alvear, Hermanos Rodríguez Barbancho and Almazaras de la Subbética), as well as two others from Jaen (Castle of Canena and Gold of Bailén). The organization of this action by extend will be co-financed with funds from the European Union the PO FEDER of Andalusia 2014-2020, endowed with a community contribution of 80%.

 

In addition, both days were completed with tastings of olive oils of the different varieties that the companies work with. Andalusian companies participants in this promotional action to make professionals aware of all the possibilities offered by the different oils, from arbequina, hojiblanca, picudo and picual. 

 

Japan It is an attractive market that represents the third world economy after United States and China, and has a population three times larger than that of Spain. According to data from extend, the Japanese consumer has great interest in high-quality foreign products linked to tradition and sustainability. It is a market with a very high purchasing power, even in times of economic crisis, since above all it seeks quality and is willing to pay very high prices. 

 

Andalusian exports of food and beverages to Japan have doubled in less than a decade, registering an increase of 169% since 2009 and reaching 155 million euros in 2017. 

 

In less than a decade, Japan It has gained two positions in the ranking of main destinations for Andalusian agri-food sales abroad and has entered the top ten to occupy tenth place in 2017, with 1,6% of Andalusian exports in the sector. 

 

Andalusia, second exporting community to Japan

 

Sales continue to grow in the first eight months of 2018, with an increase of 6,6% compared to January-August 2017, up to 118 million euros. With this figure, Andalucía It is the second exporting community of agri-food products to Japan, with 19,4% of national sales, only behind Catalonia (with 218 million, 36% and a drop of 2,8%).

 

In fourth place is Jaen, with 11,3 million, 9,6%; followed by Córdoba, with 9,3 million, which grew by 20,6%. With lower sales there are Granada, 357.000 euros, Almeria, with 162.000 euros and Huelva, with 39.000 euros. 

 

In the first eight months of 2018, Andalusia has already registered practically the same number of regular exporting companies (more than four years exporting) than in all of 2017, specifically, 117 (only one less than in the entire previous year), which reflects the consolidated position of Andalusian agri-food companies in the Japanese market. In total, 210 exporting companies were registered in this period.

 

Andalucía It exports mainly olive oil to Japan, with 64 million euros, 55% of sales, followed by fish and seafood, with 28,5 million, 24,3% and an increase of 83%; and frozen meat and offal, with 8,9 million, 8,7% and an increase of 18,8%.