Uruguay is well-known for soccer ― the country’s national team are reigning world champions, and for tango, but the South American nation is perhaps equally passionate about barbecue steak.

The Uruguayan Embassy and the South American country’s National Meat Institute promoted the country’s love of dinning on grilled steaks at a tasting showcasing Uruguayan beef at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul on May 10.

“Uruguay’s premium quality beef is among world’s best, blessed with its climate and terrain, perfect natural conditions to produce fine meat. Above all, the characteristics of the Uruguayan beef are its natural qualities and the security of the product,” the embassy said in a press statement Tuesday.

Health and safety issues concerning imported beef had become a sensitive topic of political discussion here highlighted by mass protests against the Korea-United States free trade agreement in 2008.

Uruguayan officials made a special point of emphasizing the safety of Uruguayan beef products.

“In Uruguay, cattle are reared naturally with natural pastures, and the security of the Uruguayan meat is guaranteed by the strict quality controls on the sanitary conditions on every exported pack of beef, the mandatory traceability of all cattle, and with the assurance that the use of hormones is prohibited by law,” the embassy said.

More than 75 percent of Uruguayan beef production is exported to some 120 countries around the world.

(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)