‘India has hospitality courses, not culinary ones’

Visiting Mumbai recently to further the cause of culinary education, Chicagobased Christopher Koetke, host of Emmy- nominated cooking show Let’s Dish and vice- president of Kendall College, Chicago, spoke to Deeksha Gautam about the evolving field of education. Under his leadership, the School of Culinary Arts was awarded the Academy of the Culinary Arts Cordon d’ Or — Gold Ribbon Cooking School of the Year Culinary Academy Award for 2008. In 2009, he was named the Cooking Teacher of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. How is culinary education in the US different from that in India? In the US, culinary education is different from hospitality education. At a hospitality school, students are expected to be familiar with the workings of a kitchen and a passable knowledge of the food industry works.

On the other side, culinary education requires students to deep-dive into the art of cooking. The emphasis is on mastery of skills at the kitchen level with high understanding of various cuisines. At the end of a culinary course, a student should become a chef who can walk into any kitchen and run it.

Though my experience with Indian culinary schools has been limited, I am aware that culinary education is mostly partaken here as a specialisation of the hospitality industry. This cross-pollination includes business topics, and business programmes on food. There are hardly any dedicated culinary schools in India, as far as I know. How are the culinary education and industry

spaces evolving? Food is being taken more seriously than

ever, internation- ally. The field is full of talented professionals who are trying to quell the increasing demand for good food. The profession of a chef has also altered in these times. A chef is no longer someone who just cooks; a chef is the CEO of the kitchen.

A chef has to excel at many tasks — management of the restaurants, ratios of investments, identification of raw material sources, employing the right cooks, choosing the right equipment, to name a few. A career as a chef gives you a long term future in the hospitality industry. In this way, culinary education is no different from any other form of higher education.

Also, it is important to remember that simply pursuing a degree will not make you a successful chef. Additional skills, practical knowledge and exploration of various cuisines are what a good culinary school will give you. What qualities are you looking for a student at Kendall? Is a talent for cooking a must? We are seeking three basic things in a new student, and prior experience in cooking isn’t one of them. We look for passion, discipline and intensity. Cooking is like a performance art which can be mastered with hardwork and an intensity for learning. The commitment of stick- ing with something for long comes with discipline. We test it through academic records. The culinary business is an ever-changing, challenging one, and passion for food definitely counts. If you are wondering if a culinary course is the right way for you or not, try to visit a hotel or restaurant and observe its behind-the-scenes functioning for a day. Does Kendall College offer scholarships to Indian students? Kendall welcomes international students on campus. We have had students from over 50 to 60 nationalities.

Ranbir Batra, owner of the New Yorker restaurant, Chowpatty, is a popular alumnus from India.

He became one of our star students after he won the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef competition during his time at Kendall.

There are a couple of scholarships available to Indian students based on their academic achievement, financial need apart from special needs. Some of them are: Kendall Presidential Scholarships, Kendall Dean’s Scholarships, Community College Transfer, Kendall College Trust Scholarships and Alumni Legacy Scholarship. More details can be found at www. kendall.edu