Worlds of Flavor
As ethnic flavors become more prominent on American menus, it's crucial for today's foodservice professionals to expand their knowledge and experience with these flavors.

Culinary Institute of America

Worlds of Flavor International Conference Schedule

Worlds of Flavor International Conference: The Regional Flavors of Mexico The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone November 11-13, 1999 The Second Annual Worlds of Flavor Conference will highlight the authentic, compelling flavors of regional Mexican cooking. Seminars and hands-on workshops will feature Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo), Diana Kennedy (My Mexico: A Culinary Odyssey), Marilyn Tausend (Cocina de la Familia), Abigail Mendoza and family (cooks and weavers, Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca), Silvio Campos (master of Yucatecan pit cooking, Tixkokob, Yucatan), Zarela Martinez (The Food and Life of Oaxaca), Richard Sandoval (Maya restaurants), Robert Del Grande (Cafe Annie and Taco Milagro), and many more. "As far as we know, this will be the largest and most significant conference on regional Mexican culinary traditions held in the United States in recent memory, and perhaps ever," said Rick Bayless. Upcoming Conferences: Worlds of Flavor International Conference: The Flavors of Italy March 10-12, 2000 The Culinary Institute of America Hudson Valley, New York 1-800-888-7850 Worlds of Flavor International Conference: The Flavors of India and Southeast Asia November 9-11, 2000 The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone Napa Valley, California 1-800-333-9242

As we enter into the 21st century, one of the most significant trends shaping American foodservice — and indeed, the American palate — is the rising interest in ethnic and international flavors. More Americans are embracing a wider spectrum of flavors: big flavors, spicy flavors, fresh flavors — flavors from a world of diverse cultures. And as they do, American cooking is changing dramatically — creating profound, long-term implications for chefs, restaurateurs, foodservice managers, agricultural marketers, and everyone else connected with the business of food in this country.

"We are at a juncture in time where it is clear that the future of American cooking is really about a broader range of ethnic and international flavors," says Greg Drescher, director of education at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, Calif.

"It used to be that excellence in American foodservice was tied to European notions of excellence and that's really changing. There's a sense of ending the ranking of the world's cuisines, in which one is ranked above the other. As we go into the new millennium, more and more chefs have a sense that there is great food in many cultures around the world."

Whether the emerging flavors are Southeast Asian, North African, Eastern Mediterranean, Caribbean, or regional Mexican, chefs and other foodservice professionals have a lot to think about: learning and sourcing a new market-basket of ingredients, training staff, developing menus, purchasing equipment, and a host of other issues.

With the reshaping of the American kitchen now clear, individuals and operations that invest early in learning the dynamics of these cuisines will have a competitive advantage in the years ahead.

The annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference has been created by The Culinary Institute of America to showcase these ethnic cuisines, explore their likely impacts on American cooking, and give participants a better understanding of the enormous business and creative opportunities inherent in these worlds of flavor. Each year the conference focuses on flavors of different parts of the world.

Short of spending a month in a foreign country, the CIA'S three-day intensive Worlds of Flavor conferences are perhaps the best way for American foodservice professionals to be immersed into cuisines from around the world.

In 1998, the CIA's inaugural Worlds of Flavor conference highlighted the growing phenomenon of Asian foods in the American kitchen, and evaluated how American foodservice professionals can best position themselves for what's ahead. There is no question Asian foods are going to be a big part of America's culinary future.

The authentic flavors of Mexico are the focus of the CIA's second annual Worlds of Flavor conference, which will explore the growing impact of Mexican food traditions on American menus. As many American foodservice professionals are now discovering, we have only scratched the surface in our collective knowledge of the flavors of Mexico, especially those of Mexico's Center, South and Gulf Coast regions, whose food traditions are among the most interesting and complex in the world.

"These conferences allow us to bring a lot of talent together in one place, to see in an intensive way what these flavors are all about," says Drescher. "If you are really interested in cooking with Sicilian flavors, it's no longer enough to pick up a book and study the cuisine. Today, you need to either go to Sicily, or get a Sicilian chef to come to this country.

"By all means, there is an enormous amount of ethnic culinary talent in America, and we tap into that for our conferences. For example, our next conference is on the cuisine of Southeast Asia, and there's a tremendous Vietnamese talent right here in California. But we also source for talent worldwide. We not only look for who's doing a good job locally, but also who's doing a good job in Oaxaca, in Mexico City, in Yucatan."

In the past, ethnic flavors have been adapted and toned down for Americans. Now, a lot of chefs realize that Americans are more interested in these flavors just as they exist, perhaps with only a slight adaptation.

"Take a Southeast Asian curry dish for example, traditionally made with bone-in, skin-on chicken. Americans may want boneless, skinless chicken, but they don't want the basic flavor profile changed," adds Drescher.

"As we go into the new millennium, more and more chefs have a sense that there is great food in many cultures around the world." -Greg Drescher

"Some chefs may take these ethnic flavors and experiment further with them. While we at the CIA don't teach fusion, there are chefs that do a good job with it. But what's important for all chefs — whether they're going to recreate ethnic flavors, slightly adapt them, or inspire a new tradition altogether — is that they get exposed to the real flavors and the people that are creating them."