The Culinary Institute of America's Announces Program for 2010 Worlds of Flavor® Conference
JAPAN: FLAVORS OF CULTURE Brings in Over 50 of Japan's Most Accomplished Chefs and Food Professionals
View the full conference details >
St.
Helena, CA, July 21, 2010 – The Culinary Institute of America
(CIA) has
announced the list of presenters for JAPAN:
FLAVORS OF CULTURE, the largest and most significant
professional conference
ever held in the
United States
dedicated to the flavors, culinary techniques, and food cultures of
Japan.
Held at the college's historic Napa Valley
campus, in St. Helena, CA,
the conference is scheduled for November
4–6, 2010 as part of its celebrated annual Worlds of Flavor®
International Conference & Festival series.
JAPAN: FLAVORS OF CULTURE—From Sushi and Soba to Kaiseki, A Global Celebration of Tradition, Art & Exchange will shine a national spotlight on the accelerating interest in Japanese flavors among American chefs, food critics, and other foodservice professionals as well as provide "once-in-a-lifetime" access to an unprecedented gathering of distinguished culinary talent from Japan.
More than 50 of Japan's most accomplished chefs and food professionals, from legendary three-Michelin-star kaiseki restaurants of Kyoto to the bustling noodle bars and yakitori places of Tokyo, will gather at the conference. They'll lead sessions devoted to mastering Japanese food ingredients, beverages, techniques for flavor development, aesthetics of presentation, and more, with a balance struck between traditional and modern Japanese culinary styles. Participating top American chefs and operators—including celebrated Japanese-American chefs—will discuss how they are translating Japanese flavors for a new generation of U.S. foodservice concepts and menus.
Among the many Japanese chefs and experts confirmed are Chef Kihachi
Kumagaya of Kihachi Restaurants (Japan), Chef Kiyomi Mikuni of the Hôtel
de Mikuni (Tokyo), Chef Yoshihiro
Murata of Kikunoi Restaurant (Kyoto), Yoshihiro
Takahashi of Hyotei (Kyoto), Chef Kunio Tokuoka of Kitcho Arashiyama
Restaurant (Kyoto), Mr. Yukio Hattori of Ecole de Cuisine et Nutrition
Hattori (Tokyo), and Mr. Yoshiki Tsuji of Tsuji Cooking Academy (Osaka).
Renowned
chefs working in the U.S. include Chef Masaharu Morimoto of Morimoto
Restaurant (New York City), Chef Thomas Keller of The
French Laundry (Yountville, CA), Chef David Chang of Momofuko (New
York City), Chef José Andrés of Café Atlantico and host of the PBS
series Made in Spain (Washington, DC), and Chef Nori Kusakabe
of Sushi Ran (Sausalito, CA).
"Interest in Japanese food and culinary traditions has seen phenomenal growth among American consumers in recent years," says CIA Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives Greg Drescher. "Sushi has moved from the exotic to the mainstream, Japanese noodle soups are regularly included in volume foodservice operations, Japanese fine dining restaurants claim top-tier ratings, and Japanese flavors and culinary aesthetics influence the menus and ambience of even non-Japanese restaurants. At the same time, Japan is often less familiar to Americans than Italy, France, or other European countries. American food professionals sense that we are only at the beginning of our discovery and understanding of the 'gold standards' of Japan and Japanese food culture."
The conference will feature a dizzying array of seminars and workshops, exploring dashi and umami, the art of Japanese knife techniques, Japanese regional flavors, street food and Japanese "grab and go" foods, modern takes on sushi and sashimi, and much more. A few seminar and workshop titles include Soba: Mastering the Techniques of One of Asia's Great Noodle Traditions; Building Umami with the Japanese Market Basket; Bincho-tan: Japanese Grilling and the Artisinal Craft of Specialty Charcoal; Mastering Japanese Rice Cooking—and Exploring Innovative Whole Grain Blends; and Of Greens, Ginger, Shiso, and More: The Irresistible Worlds of Japanese Pickles. A full schedule of sessions, workshops, and seminars is posted at www.worldsofflavor.com.
The CIA's Worlds of
Flavor® International Conference & Festival is widely acknowledged
as the
United
States's most influential professional forum
on world cuisines and flavor trends. Now in its 13th year, this
consistently
sold-out annual event is open to more than 700 leading chefs,
corporate menu
decision-makers, foodservice management executives, suppliers, food
critics and
other journalists, and other food and beverage professionals as well
as media.
The conference regularly brings in dozens of top chefs and food
experts from Asia,
Europe and the Mediterranean, Latin
America, and across the
United
States. The 2010 JAPAN: FLAVORS OF CULTURE marks only
the
second time in 13 years that the CIA's mega-event has focused on a
single
country.
At www.worldsofflavor.com, you can also view a list of presenters and their biographies, check out an ever-expanding glossary of Japanese foods and cooking techniques, read "Presenter Spotlights," and sign up to receive e-mail bulletins about the conference. To become a fan of the conference's Facebook page—which posts interesting articles about Japanese food and culture, biographic sketches of presenting chefs, and more—please visit CIA Worlds of Flavor® on Facebook.
Photo Captions:
Sanuki Udon (Photo Credit: CIA)
Tempura (Photo Credit: CIA)
Yakitori (Photo Credit: CIA)
Contact:
Cate Conniff
Marketing Manager
707-967-2303
c_connif@culinary.edu
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