Worlds of Flavor
Conference Convenes more than 60 Chefs for a Focus on Asia
Media Contact:
Jan Smyth
Marketing Manager
845-451-1457
j_smyth@culinary.edu
Hyde Park, NY – Firmly grounded at the intersection
of tradition and
innovation, Asia is setting the stage for 21st-century culinary
exploration and
challenging today’s chefs and restaurateurs from San Francisco to San
Sebastián to re-imagine possibilities around menu design,
recipe development, and flavor discovery. The 17th , which will take place April
22–24, 2015 at The
Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in the Napa Valley, will shed
new light on how a variety of Asian cuisines are evolving in both their
national and international incarnations.
“Chefs from Europe to the Americas are increasingly turning
to Asia for inspiration. They are dipping into age-old techniques and
intriguing textures found nowhere else, ingredient lists rich in vegetables and
seafood, complex flavor dynamics, and unique stylistic presentations,” said Greg Drescher, vice
president of strategic initiatives and industry leadership at the CIA, who created
Worlds of Flavor in 1998. “This is certainly one of the preeminent culinary megatrends
of our time.”
The program will immerse the 700+ attendees—chefs,
restaurateurs, and other foodservice professionals—in the cuisines of
Asia, from
India to Thailand, China to Japan, Korea to Singapore, Vietnam to
Indonesia. Coming
from around the globe, the more than 60 presenting chefs, experts, and
journalists include Janice Wong (2am: dessertbar,
Singapore), Matt Abergel (Yardbird,
Hong Kong), Shinobu Namae (L’Effervescence, Tokyo), Bo Songvisava and
Dylan Jones (Bo.lan, Bangkok), Byung Jin Kim and Lucia Cho (Bicena and
Goan, Seoul), Paul Qui (qui restaurant and East Side
King, Austin, TX), Ivan Orkin (Ivan Ramen, New York
City), Martin Yan (M.Y. China, San Francisco, CA), Francis Lam (New
York City),
and Fuchsia Dunlop (London, UK). With them, the audience will peer
into the
world’s most acclaimed restaurants and most beloved street food
stalls, as they
are taken through flavors and dishes that range from deeply
traditional to
wildly innovative.
Session topics include a comprehensive look at the impact of
Asian cuisine on American dining; the science and flavor development
opportunities of umami; and demonstrations of Asian style from the most basic
to some of the finest in the world. Alongside these high-impact culinary
demonstrations that have made Worlds of Flavor a must-attend for the industry
for 16 years, participants will have more than a dozen options for intimate
kitchen workshops, limited to 20 attendees, where they will see the mastery of Japanese
knife technique, taste the diversity of Asian greens, and smell the aromas of
breads from around the Asian continent. “Theater” in this year’s theme also allows
an opportunity to explore insights into Asian hospitality, design, and the art
of plating (and “bowling”). And, as always, the World Marketplace will feature
bites from presenters and partners, for a full, literal taste of the
conference’s theme.
Worlds of Flavor is considered by
the industry to be America’s most influential professional forum on world
cuisines, food cultures, and flavor trends. It is the flagship event on the CIA’s
Industry Leadership calendar, which includes a dozen national conferences,
retreats, and industry leadership initiatives each year that address issues and
trends related to flavor development and world cultures, health and wellness,
foodservice menu research, sustainability, and collaborations between agriculture
and restaurant kitchens.
Visit for presenter
biographies and registration details.
Photo Caption
Presenters at Worlds of Flavor: Asia and the Theater of
World Menus include some of the top chefs in Asia, according to the S.
Pelligrino list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants (clockwise
from top left): Prin Polsuk,
head chef at nahm (Bangkok), rated the No. 1 in Asia; Gaggan Anand,
chef/owner of Gaggan (No. 3, Bangkok), Alvin Leung, chef/owner of
Bo Innovation (No. 15, Hong Kong), and two-time winner of the Best
Pastry Chef
in Asia, Janice Wong of 2am: dessertbar (Singapore). (Photo credit: 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, applied food studies, 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 47,000
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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