June 2009

Culinary students learning fresh + local = appealing

By Sherri McKinney

Chefs worldwide have touted the use of fresh and local food products, and more than 300 students at the Culinary Institute of Virginia are learning how they too can serve up delicious local fare.

The Norfolk school’s culinary science program includes standards-based, hands-on training with the emphasis on acquiring basic professional culinary skills.

Students study culinary techniques and fundamentals, meat and fish fabrication, safety and sanitation, and baking and pastry arts. They also study taste and flavor and food nutrition and science— and that’s where the push for using fresh, local foods comes into play.

“I think it’s important for the students to understand where their food comes from and to support local suppliers, farms and farmers’ markets,” said Chef Michael Morphew, director of the education program. “We use local markets whenever we can to get the students out and visit the farmers’ markets and use the fresh food in class.”

The school also has a small garden where students are taught how to grow their own food and harvest it. “It is mostly herbs and fresh tomatoes and different kinds of peppers,” Morphew said. “If they see how it is grown and looked after, they have a lot more respect for the product.”

It takes students a little less than two years to receive a degree in culinary science from the institute. Upon graduation, CIV also supports students with graduate employment services and local externships.

“Our goal is to give students a better knowledge of the culinary arts,” said Morphew. “My hope is that they have a better understanding of fresh ingredients and how they can use those ingredients, while having a great respect for locally grown produce.”