COMMENT: Irish beef tongue is booming in Japan - it's a delicacy, writes Katie Gleeson

Not every week starts with, breakfast in Paris, lunch in Seoul and dinner in Tokyo with beef tongue but then again, this last week hasn't been a typical farm week.

I swapped Tipperary for Tokyo and set off on a trade mission press trip with Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, bound for South Korea and Japan.

Why? To show how the food we produce in Ireland journeys from the farm gate to the global plate and supermarket shelves halfway across the world.

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Our first stop was Seoul, the bustling capital city of South Korea.

We were there for Seoul Food, Korea’s largest food and hospitality trade show, and Ireland had a strong presence.

Companies like ABP were on the ground, at the business hub where Korea’s top buyers come to scout premium products. This was Bord Bia’s fifth year attending, and Ireland’s presence was strong.

The Ireland Pavilion was buzzing with meetings, with Irish meat companies engaging with importers and distributors.

And that’s not just for show.

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In 2024, Irish food and drink exports to South Korea were worth €36 million with dairy (€15 million), pigmeat (€7 million), seafood (€7 million) and drinks (€4 million) leading the way.

While most Irish food exports to Korea are used as ingredients for further processing, a few consumer brands are starting to break through.

Flahavan’s oats have made their mark thanks to a unique import partner, and Nenagh based brand Nutshed peanut butter recently landed a spot in the prestigious Hyundai department store (think Marks and Spencers with extra notions sprinkled on top), where I spotted both on the shelves.

But the big story this year is Irish beef.

In May 2024, Ireland finally gained access to the South Korean market, a long-anticipated milestone. South Korea imports nearly 500,000 tonnes of beef a year, mostly from the US and Australia.

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But with Korean beef self-sufficiency at just 35%, and per capita meat consumption topping 60kg (15kg of that beef), there’s room for new players (enter Ireland) especially as consumers become more discerning of nutrition, taste and sustainability.

During a chat with Minister Martin Heydon, right in the middle of the bustling trade hall, we spoke about the importance of traceability, trust and sustainability in food and how farmers at home are already doing the work, even when it doesn’t make the headlines.

I asked him how he sees trade missions like this making a real difference on the ground, and he was clear about their importance in building long-term relationships, negotiating access, and making sure our food system, one built on family farms and sustainable practices is recognised and rewarded globally.

And that stuck with me. Because the truth is, we’re often so busy firefighting at home: policy changes, weather battles, paperwork, that we forget how respected Irish food actually is on the international stage.

In 2023, over €36 million worth of Irish food and drink was exported to South Korea alone. When you think about that in the context of the 135,000 farmers in Ireland, it’s something we should be shouting louder about.

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From Seoul, we flew to Tokyo, where we hit the ground running into neon swirl of Shibuya district, heading to Negishi, a restaurant chain where Irish beef tongue is booming.

Yes, you read that right: beef tongue. Its a Japanese delicacy and a huge market opportunity for Irish beef. I ordered the full set (after a pep talk and maybe a small glass of something), and honestly?

It was delicious, tender and smoky. And I'm not alone in my assessment, Negishi serves Irish beef tongue across 49 locations to 100,000 customers a week.

After a hectic 24hrs, I ended the night the only way you should in Japan: with a 7-Eleven snack raid matcha sweets, sushi, novelty KitKats and collapsed into bed somewhere around 2am, fully leaning into the jet lag.

To be continued...

Katie Gleeson is an online content creator who documents family life on a dairy farm in rural Tipperary via her Instagram account @katieinthecountry.