Premium beef from Isaan to be promoted as Thailand’s soft power
The myth about Thai beef being chewy is being laid to rest with a new breed of cattle, "Ko Dam Lam Takhong", that originated in Nakhon Ratchasima province being promoted as the country's premium beef.
Unlike in the past when most Thais preferred to avoid beef due to a belief that consuming large animals would have karmic consequences, beef consumption in recent years has become a huge trend among food enthusiasts.
Mouthwatering dishes such as steak, and Japanese and South Korean grills top the list when sharing meals among friends and families. However, imported beef is not so pocket-friendly.
“With the increase in demand for good quality beef, but made in Thailand, the ‘Ko Dam Lam Takhong' breed was developed and has become the country’s premium beef with a unique smell and taste," said Akkawat Wiriyakachonkiat, managing director of NVK Farm Products.
The breed is a combination of three species — Thai native, Wagyu and Angus.
Apart from resistance to weather and disease, Ko Dam Lam Takhong marbled meat offers a juicy and tender taste. A medium-rare steak with a small portion of salt could be enough to tickle tastebuds.
Premium beef equals soft power
Thailand has been making efforts to project its soft power on the global stage, and so is its beef. The country aims to be the hub for premium beef production in a bid to meet the demand of beef lovers in Thailand while showing off its premium beef quality from the four provinces in the overseas market.
The four northeastern provinces under development are Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Buriram and Surin. The move comes as Thailand’s beef import bill has ballooned to more than 7 billion baht annually to support domestic demand.
In a bid to promote Thai beef internationally and to make the country’s beefy matter more tender, Thailand is hosting "Thailand Beef Fest 2024" at Lower Northeastern Science Park (LNESP) in Nakhon Ratchasima's Mueang district from February 1-4
The event will feature an exhibition of Thai and foreign cattle breeds, technology for breeding high-quality beef cattle, and a cooking demonstration by professional chefs.
"The fair is an opportunity to develop a 'beef cattle innovation district' for the production, sale and development of premium beef cattle," said the National Innovation Agency (NIA) deputy executive director, Dr Krithpaka Boonfueng.
Also, this event will help connect with tourism, consumption and investment in the food industry or other related industries in the future.
Beefy facts
Nakhon Ratchasima has potential for cattle raising with more than 185,400 livestock farmers and 530,000 cattle living there.
The NIA and LNESP are offering technology and innovation to boost productivity, increase product value and enhance the potential of entrepreneurs.
"The comprehensive cattle-raising method and nutritional feed recipe help cattle become healthy," Akkawat said, adding that the beef price has increased to 105-145 baht per kilogram compared to the previous 82 baht per kg.
