Cultural News, 2010 October Issue
From November 4–6, the Culinary Institute of America, one of nation’s best culinary professional training school, will stage Japan: Flavors of Culture—Sushi and Soba to Kaiseki, a Global Celebration of Tradition, Art & Exchange at the 13th Annual Worlds of Flavor Conference held its St. Helena campus in the Napa Valley, Northern California.
This spectacular, multi-dimensional event will bring together a conference faculty of more than 50 top chefs from Japan as well as leading Japanese chefs and culinary authorities from the United States.
The prestigious guest conference faculty will lead seminars, conduct tasting and demonstrations, collaborate on special meals, and participate in the colorful World Marketplace held in the institution's historic 15,000 square-foot Barrel Room at Greystone mansion.
The 13th Annual Worlds of Flavor Conference will represent one of the largest and most significant American professional conferences ever held dedicated to the flavors and food culture of Japan.
Interest in Japanese food and culinary traditions has seen phenomenal growth among American consumers in recent years. 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 Americans are only at the beginning of their discovery and understanding of the "gold standards" of Japan and Japanese food culture.
Japan: Flavors of Culture, will both celebrate the increasing interest in Japanese flavors in American foodservice as well as provide access to an unprecedented gathering of culinary talent from Japan—talent who represent mastery in their respective areas of endeavor.
The conference faculty will include more than 60 leading chefs and other experts on the food and culinary traditions of Japan. Participating chefs from Japan will represent a variety of Japanese regional culinary traditions and types of cooking from casual to high cuisine and from traditional to modern.
American chefs and operators will discuss how they are adopting and translating Japanese flavors for a range of new-generation U.S. food service concepts.
Highlighted themes will include traditional Japanese techniques for farming and fishing, the Japanese heritage of preserved foods from soy sauce to miso and nori, the world of Japanese noodles from soba and udon to ramen, sushi and sashimi traditions, Japanese cooking techniques from tempura to the Japanese live fire kitchen, an insider's view of the legendary kaiseki kitchens of Japan, the philosophy and art of Japanese cooking and food presentation, Japanese kitchen tools, Japanese desserts, Japanese green tea, sake, beverage pairings, and much more.
Most importantly, following more than two years of careful planning, this conference will present for the first time in the United States, a comprehensive, global standard of excellence in traditional Japanese cuisine as practiced by Japan's most revered master chefs and food experts.
General Registration is $1,295 for foodservice operators and educators. Registration deadline is November 1. Online registration at www.ciaprochef.com/WOF2010/
Latest information are found on Facebook and twitter.com/worldsofflavor
For phone registration, call (800) 888-7850 on Monday–Friday, 8 am to 6 pm at Eastern Standard Time.
Presenting Sponsor is Kikkoman Sales USA; Grand Platinum Sponsor is Japan External Trade Organization; Platinum Sponsors are Ajinomoto Co, Hakubaku Co, Mizkan Americas, Korin, Sakai City, and Gohan Society.
This annual three-day forum is widely acknowledged as one of nation's most influential professional forums on world cuisines and trends. Each November, the Worlds of Flavor Conference showcases the gold standards of world cuisines that are reshaping American palates and the U.S. foodservice industry.
Contacts of the conference are: In Japan; The Culinary Institute of America's 2010 Worlds of Flavor Japan Representative Office, Phone 03-3403-9495, Email wof2010@chikaraishi.jp: Strategic Initiatives Group, The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, 2555 Main Street, St. Helena, CA 94574, www.ciaprochef.com/strategic
