Live, fresh oysters from Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, make their first landing in Indonesia

- Live oysters from Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, Held a tasting and promotional event in Jakarta

JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Live oysters from Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, which contribute 60 percent of the country's total oyster production, will be imported to Indonesia for the first time.

Gyeongsangnam-do Province, together with the Korea Oyster Culture Fisheries Cooperatives, aT (Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.) and Suhyup (Korea National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives), organized the Gyeongsangnam-do's Excellent Fishery Products Overseas Market Pioneer Team, which visited Indonesia for 3 days and 5 nights from June 26 to hold oyster tasting events and export consultations.

To promote the product to the general public, the Grand Hyatt Hotel Jakarta held a buy-one-get-one promotion for 10 days from June 23, and also operated a buffet with a Tongyeong oyster theme.  On June 28, local buyers and distributors, chefs from famous hotels in Jakarta, and heads of related organizations, including the Embassy of the republic of Korea, were invited to present dishes made with oysters and flavored with sea cucumber and top shell.

Hotel chefs at the event were impressed by the freshness and flavor of Tongyeong oysters, and Indonesian importers and distributors also showed high interest. Tjioe Nofia, an influencer specializing in food and cooking, was also invited and shared the flavors and aromas of Gyeongnam's seafood products in real time through her SNS.

After the tasting event, an export consultation meeting was held with four Gyeongnam seafood producers and local distributors such as Lotte Mart, and a USD 1 million export intention business agreement was signed on site. In addition, 15 items from 10 companies, including canned smoked oysters, marine products, salted fish, seaweed, were exhibited around the venue, and the seasoned seaweed using pollock roe was the most popular.

Mr. Markus Zuck, Executive Chef of Grand Hyatt Hotel Jakarta, made a surprise visit to the venue and said that he tried to capture Korean flavors while preparing the food for the event.

In particular, he enjoyed the mild flavor of the Tongyeong oysters and the sweetness that lingered in his mouth after eating them.

Meanwhile, Ji Hong-tae, president of the Korea Oyster Culture Fisheries Cooperatives, who participated in the event, said that Tongyeong oysters are characterized by their large eggs and rich, deep flavor, which grow by consuming plentiful plankton 24 hours a day on the southern coast, which has optimal conditions for oyster farming, and are safe oysters that are produced in clean seas recognized by the U.S. FDA and exported to the world.

Gyeongnam's seafood products are achieving the largest export performance ever this year. In May, cumulative exports reached $114.8 million, with Japan, China, and the United States accounting for 80 percent of the total. Indonesia is the eighth largest export destination for Gyeongnam's seafood products, with a share of only 1.7%, and most of them are processed fishery products.

Gyeongsangnam-do Province plans to promote various events through the Gyeongnam Office in Jakarta so that the export of excellent Gyeongnam seafood products to Indonesia can be further increased in quantity as well as diversification of products.