The hunger for culinary knowledge has reached an all-time fever pitch. Chefs and restaurateurs from local bistros to muti-unit operators know that the bar has been raised in terms of what it takes to forge a loyal base of dining patrons.
To fill that need for “next level” education Italy based: Top Italian Chef is rolling out a new tour through Italy for chefs, culinary students, and anyone else interested in learning from some of the best chefs in Italy. Top Italian Chef has been producing recipes and leading events that promote Italian products and instruct people in how to use them in over 36 countries, and now they’re offering the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Italian cuisine straight from the source.
The idea for the Master Experience Italy Tour came when Top Italian Chef began to think about expanding their brand and concept. “In my experience travelling around to teach people about Italian cuisine, we understand that it’s impossible for people to fully understand why Italian culinary culture is one of the best in the world,” said Chef Dante Daga, the international ambassador for Top Italian Chef. “We thought, why don’t we bring people here and really show them every single point of our culinary experience?”
Rather than focusing on Italian products or recipes, the Master Experience Italy Tour is a way to truly experience what makes Italian cuisine special, from the ingredients to the service and everything in between. The 10-day experience is open to anyone, although it is an intensive, exclusive program that primarily caters to culinary students and chefs.
“There’s a great potential to this because it’s covering all the bases of the plate in Italian cuisine,” said Jeanette Catena, Top Italian Chef’s US marketing coordinator. “It would appeal to many, many people. We want to give students the knowledge right up front: here is why Italian cuisine is so popular and this is the standard for service and hospitality.”
The Master Experience Italy Tour isn’t only for culinary students; Catena mentioned that she knows a restaurant owner who is thinking of sending their chefs on the tour, and a mobile pizza restaurant owner who is interested as well. Because of its varied offerings and breadth of knowledge, the tour is a great learning experience for people in all areas of food service looking to learn more about Italian cooking.
The tour includes cities in both the North and South of Italy, including Milan, Genoa, and Naples, so participants get to experience the varied culinary culture of Italy. Workshops in each city cater to the area’s specialties, including learning about local pastas, rice production techniques, pesto making, and Parma ham and vinegar. “We want to give a bit of knowledge for every sector of our kitchen,” Daga said. Classes and workshops range from appetizers to desserts to allow participants to experience every facet of Italian cooking.
Each day of the program is taught in a Michelin star restaurant and includes workshops and activities for participants in the morning or afternoon. Daga emphasized that the tour truly is a unique opportunity; “we’re going to have the best chefs in Italy,” he said. “The people that come on this program are going to meet and learn from some of the best chefs in Europe,” including chefs with over seven Michelin stars under their belt. Participants also get a signed certificate at the end, showing that they’ve been taught by these esteemed chefs. “Imagine being a recent culinary school graduate and bringing that to the table, being able to say that you’ve worked with all these amazing chefs,” Catena said. There will also be a videographer on staff to document the classes and workshops for future review by the participants, so that the knowledge gained can continue to be built upon once they’re back home.
Nine out of the tour’s ten days are dedicated to teaching and workshops, but time to see the sights is built into the trip as well; the Murano glass factory in Venice and the Old Car Museum in Turin are just two of the additional attractions built into the tour. Everything, including hotels and transportation on the tour, is included in the price aside from airfare. Top Italian Chef is currently planning to offer tours in May/June and September/October. Don’t wait to sign up; the chance to learn from some of the best chefs in Italy isn’t one to miss out on.
For more information on the program, please contact Jeanette Catena via email at eur1source@gmail.com or call (908) 627-1858.
