Three new academic concentrations—in beverage management, farm-to-table cooking, and Latin cuisines—are giving CIA students the chance to focus their
studies on a particular area of interest in the food world. Students enrolled
in the bachelor’s degree management programs can choose a concentration which
includes 15-credit semesters at other CIA campuses. As a bonus, visitors to those campuses reap the rewards of the
students’ lessons with exciting dining experiences.
The
concentrations expand upon the college’s bachelor’s degree programs that
pioneered culinary management education in the 1990s, and are another example
of how the CIA continues to be at the forefront of preparing leaders for all
segments of foodservice and hospitality.
Students in the Advanced Wine, Beverage, and Hospitality major spend a semester at
the CIA’s Greystone campus in the heart of California’s Napa Valley wine
country. Throughout the program, they get an upper-level wine and beverage
education and study the advanced principles of restaurant service management.
American Food Studies: Farm-to-Table Cooking also features a semester away at Greystone. The culinary director of the program is Larry Forgione ’74. Known as "the
godfather of American cuisine," he is credited with changing the way Americans
eat by embracing the virtues of using seasonal, local ingredients. Students
learn the intricacies of local sourcing, ingredient selection, and menu
development, and they work on a farm adjacent to the campus which supplies some
of the meat and produce for the food they prepare.
Latin Cuisines immerses students in the unique ingredients, culinary techniques, and
traditions of the diverse cultures of South America, Central America, Mexico,
and the Caribbean. This specialization recognizes the rapid growth of these
cuisines, accounting for a third of all ethnic restaurant sales. Studies take
place at the CIA’s campus in San Antonio—the gateway to Latin America.
Much
like music conservatory programs, masters (in this case, chefs and vintners)
serve as guest instructors alongside the college’s own world-class faculty. At
the end of their time together, students present what they’ve learned from some
of the biggest names in their field. At Greystone, this happens at The
Conservatory, a
student-led "crop-up" restaurant. Students from American Food Studies prepare
the meal and those in Advanced Wine, Beverage and Hospitality create the
beverage menu and provide service. In San Antonio, students present their "projects"
at Nao
Restaurant.
These three
concentrations join the college’s new CIA culinary science bachelor's degree, which launched earlier in
2013, and curriculum is being developed for additional concentrations to be
offered in the near future.