Students Spend
Semester in San Antonio as Part of Bachelor's Degree Studies
Media Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu
San Antonio, TX – A group of students from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)
campus in Hyde Park, NY is preparing to spend the first semester of senior year
at the college's campus in San Antonio, focusing on the ingredients,
techniques, and cultural traditions of Latin American cuisines. It is part of the CIA's Latin Cuisines Concentration, which launches on May 5—Cinco de Mayo.
The students, pursuing bachelor's degrees in culinary arts
management from the CIA, will study the foods of Mexico and other Latin
American cuisines that are ripe for broader exposure in the United States,
including those of Brazil, Peru, Central America, and the Caribbean. They will
explore the nuances of flavor development and culinary expression of these
cuisines, while learning from expert faculty and visiting instructors, such as
award-wining chef Rick Bayless, all under the
direction of CIA Chef Sergio Remolina.
Students also will be immersed in the history and cultures
of these nations and regions. For instance, they will learn that Cinco de Mayo
is not the "Mexican Fourth of July," but rather the commemoration of an 1862 military
victory. According to Chef Remolina, only in recent
years has it turned into a day of celebration in the United States.
The Latin Cuisines Concentration gives students in-depth
knowledge and a valuable specialization in some of the world's most exciting cuisines.
Latin meals account for an estimated one-third of all ethnic restaurant sales
in the United States. And, the students will be gaining this in-depth knowledge
while spending 15 weeks in San Antonio—the gateway to Latin America. During the
semester, students will present several special dinners that will be open to
the public.
Chef Remolina comes to San Antonio
to head the program after six years as an assistant professor at the
Hyde Park
campus, where he was the opening executive chef of the CIA's Bocuse
Restaurant and taught Cuisines of the Americas. A
former executive chef at the Mexican Embassy in Paris, Chef Remolina
was also executive chef and owner of restaurants in Mexico City and
Cuidad Juarez.
The CIA's Latin Cuisines program joins existing
beverage management and farm-to-table cooking held at the college's Greystone campus in California's Napa Valley.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image
Chef Sergio Remolina is directing
The Culinary Institute of America's new bachelor's degree concentration in
Latin Cuisines at the college's San Antonio campus. (Photo credit: Scott S. Miller/CIA)
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent,
not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with majors in
culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary science, as well as
certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. As the
world's premier culinary college, the CIA provides thought leadership in the
areas of health & wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines &
cultures through research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 46,000
alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz,
Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The CIA also offers courses for
professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services in support of
innovation for the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college has
campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore.
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