Ricky Cheng, Japan Agricultural Executives Hold First-Ever 'Saga Gyu Cutting Ceremony' in Hong Kong during Gourmet Luncheon
HONG KONG, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Representatives from the Saga Prefecture organization of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA-Saga), Elite Fresh Food Co., Ltd. and Hong Kong's Itacho Sushi today gathered for a luncheon celebrating the 3rd anniversary of the world-famous Saga Wagyu beef introduced by Elite in Hong Kong. During the event, Ricky Cheng-known as the "sushi king of Hong Kong" among Japanese media-and his culinary mentor and chief chef at Itacho Sushi, Mr. Robert Lam, demonstrated their precise skills as well as the high quality of Saga Gyu by performing a one-of-a-kind Saga Gyu cutting ceremony for the preparation of Saga Gyu sashimi and Saga Gyu tartare. The dishes were then presented by a popular model Evelyn and a famous food celebrity Kit Mak.
Saga Wagyu is a sought-after delicacy that has become synonymous with beef of exceptional quality. From Kyushu island in Japan, Saga Wagyu is considered by many to be the best among the world's finest Wagyu beef, some of which comes from countries such as Canada and Australia. JA-Saga is responsible for the introduction of this prized beef.
Today, Mr. Toyoharu Suetsuga, the Head Executive Director of JA-Saga, and Dr. Toshimune Tateno, the founder of the "Saga-Gyu" Saga Wagyu brand and a veterinary surgeon as well as Technical Advisor for Saga Agricultural Cooperatives, introduced what makes this specially produced beef so unique and popular to a gathering of local and Japanese media. The luncheon also included an introduction to the different parts of Saga-Gyu and the corresponding ways of preparing them.
Mr. Suetsuga said, "Saga boasts a mild climate, clean water and pure air, which is why the area is renowned for its agricultural products throughout Japan. They are also the reasons for pure Japanese black-hair cattle, raised in Saga and fed with organic feed and mineral water, produce a very different-and many feel superior-beef. It's very tender, with a "melt in your mouth" texture and rich, buttery taste due to its dense marbling and luxurious flavor."
Ricky Cheng said, "Genuine black-hair cattle from Saga weigh 200kg each, but only 6kg are high-grade beef for premium taste, making it more precious than Toro." Mr. John Kwong from Elite Fresh Food Co., Ltd, the largest Saga Wagyu distributor in Hong Kong, added, "Every piece of Saga Wagyu is marked with a barcode label so that it can be easily traced, meaning fans of Saga Wagyu can feel more at ease knowing they are getting the genuine thing."
The event also featured a cooking demonstration of Saga Wagyu and a culinary cultural exchange demonstrating the great passion the representatives from JA-Saga have for the product.
In honor of the third anniversary of Saga-Wagyu, Itacho Sushi and its sister restaurant Itamae will be holding a special seasonal lunch menu featuring this premium beef from now till March 31, costing only HKD150. Please see the Seasonal Saga Wagyu Menu for more details:
Saga Japanese Beef Set-Seasonal Menu
* Appetizer - Mango & Crab Salad
* Sashimi - King Salmon, Red Snapper, Rudder Fish
* Sushi - Saga Japanese Beef in "Ice Fire"
* Deep-Fry - Saga Japanese Beef Ball
* Roll - Grilled Saga Japanese Beef Roll
* Soup - Conch Soup
For photos, please go to: ftp://ghisagabeef:ghisagebeef@omaedcftp001.interpublic.com
About Saga-Gyu
Saga-Gyu ranks as one of the best of over 200 brands of beef in Japan. It is one of the regional agricultural specialties of Saga Prefecture, where a mild climate with an average temperature of around 16'C (61'F) and an annual average precipitation of about 1,800 mm combine with fertile land and clean water to produce high-quality beef cattle.
At the farms, cattle are raised with the utmost care and attention under controlled feeding conditions to match each stage of growth. They are provided with a suitable grazing area at all times. Saga-Gyu reaches optimum condition at about 30 months of age.
What is Wagyu?
Wagyu refers to several breeds of Japanese cattle genetically predisposed to concentrate meat-marbling. There are four major breeds of Wagyu: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Shorthorn and Japanese Polled. Japanese Black make up the majority. Because of the Wagyu cattle's genetic predisposition and special diet, Waygu yields meat containing various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to that of a marble pattern. This characteristic specific to Wagyu creates naturally enhanced flavor, tenderness and juiciness. The special type of Wagyu produced in Saga Prefecture is known exclusively as Saga-Gyu.
What is Saga-Gyu?
Saga-Gyu is bred by farmers who are members of the JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) Group-Saga, ranked at Grade 4 on the Beef Standard. It is also rated No. 7 on the BMS (Marbling Standard) by the Japanese Meat Ranking Society.
About Saga Agricultural Cooperatives: JA-Saga
The JA, or Japan Agricultural Cooperative, is organized in every prefecture and municipality throughout the country. It is based on the principle of mutual cooperation and aims to protect its individual members. To this end, JAs are engaged in various activities including farming and production guidance, the marketing of farm products, and credit and mutual insurance businesses. They are sometimes referred to as "multi-purpose agricultural cooperatives".
Almost all farmers in Japan are members of their respective JA, while non-farmers are increasingly affiliated with JAs as associate members in order to enjoy services such as credit and mutual insurance.
Combining eight small regional JAs in Saga prefecture, JA-Saga was established in April 2007. In October of the same year, it absorbed their economic (sales and marketing) function and became one of the biggest JAs in Japan. JA-saga has 3,542 employees as well as 23 subsidiary companies.
JA-Saga contributes to the future of Saga through agricultural empowerment and economic development. Saga-gyu and the Saga-san Wagyu brand were created by JA-Saga, and beef can be called such only under the approval of JA-Saga.
About Elite
The Elite Group is a Hong Kong-based group of companies involved in the importing, manufacture, trading and distribution of specialist food products. The Group, which has been involved in Hong Kong food industry for over 50 years, is a privately owned operation managed on a day-to-day basis by Mr. John Kwong and Miss Melanie Kwong.
With a work force of over 200, The Elite Group operates under the International Organization for Standardization ISO 9001/2000 and WHO Codex Alimentarius 2003 HACCP. The group's sales are made predominantly to customers in Hong Kong and Macao, with major hotels, private clubs, top catering institutions, fast food chains and supermarkets being the principal customers. The Elite Group is also the holding company of Mr. Steak, which has six different specialty restaurants spanning steakhouse, oyster bar, cafe and buffet concepts.
In 2007, when Japanese Wagyu beef was welcomed back into Hong Kong market, The Elite Group was appointed as the sole official importer for the Hong Kong market. The group proactively provides information and knowledge about Japanese Wagyu, maintaining close communication with buyers and consumers and establishing a solid reputation for its products and services.
About Ricky Cheng
Ricky Cheng is known among Japanese media as the "sushi king of Hong Kong" because of how he has dedicated his life to the art of sushi. Chairman of the Taste of Japan Group, he began his career in the Hong Kong food industry in 1986, starting as a sushi apprentice. He later went to Japan to immerse himself in the culture of Japanese cuisine, learning the skills of preparing sushi at some of Tokyo's top restaurants. Returning to Hong Kong, he worked as a tour guide to save money before introducing Japanese crepes to the city. These became very popular, and he subsequently launched Ajisen Ramen in Hong Kong, which grew to be so successful that it was publicly listed in Hong Kong in 2007.
In 2002 Mr. Cheung established a new brand called Itamae Sushi, which almost singlehandedly revitalized the image of kaiten - or conveyor belt - sushi by including high-end ingredients and nigiri sushi (slices of raw fish placed over rice) prepared by Japanese masters. In 2006 the Group introduced Kushiyaki Sesson into Hong Kong from Kyushu, Japan, offering freshly prepared kushi-yaki, or skewers, with rare seasonal Japanese ingredients and genuine Japanese flavors. Itacho Sushi, a restaurant specializing in the instant preparation of sushi, was subsequently launched in 2007. During the same year, Itamae Sushi expanded to Macao and Japan. Itacho and Itamae currently have a combined 30 outlets, including locations in Singapore and Taiwan.
About Itamae Sushi & Itacho Sushi
"Itamae" means "sushi chef." Itamae is dedicated to bring the greatest satisfaction to every of its customers with high-quality sushi and excellent service. Opened in 2004, Itamae currently has eight locations in Hong Kong.
"Itacho" means "chef-in-chief", the position that holds the highest status in cooking in Japanese culture. Itacho Sushi lives up to this title with exquisite preparation and quality ingredients. All sushi is made to order with seasonal fresh fish and the outstanding cooking skills of its chefs. Opened in 2007, Itacho Sushi has since been expanding its business in Hong Kong and now has 14 restaurants across the territory.
For more information, please contact:
GolinHarris
Ms. Virginia Wu
Tel: +852-2501-7909/ +852-9839-9345
Email: virginia.wu@golinharris.com
Mr. Gibson Lam
Tel: +852-2501-7959/ +852-9804-7116
Email: chung.lam@golinharris.com
