The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is like the Ivy League or “Oxbridge” (Oxford and Cambridge) institute of the culinary world.

I learned that it actually started as a small vocational school in Connecticut to train WWII veterans for jobs in the food service industry.

Over the last 60 years, it has grown into an internationally known institution, where students from all over the world come to learn about the food industry and world cuisines.

CIA has a long list of amazing graduates who have become very successful and famous culinary professionals - like Roy Choi, Anne Burrell, Roy Yamaguchi, Cat Cora, Anthony Bourdain, Sara Moulton, and Bryan Voltaggio, just to name a few.

CIA has 4 campuses: New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. The institute offers associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and certificate programs; as well as fun classes for “foodies” who want to learn more about cooking and great food. CIA also hosts important conferences and special events about world-wide food industry topics.

One of the cool things about CIA is that the different campuses have restaurants that are run by the students, and the food at the restaurants reflects the area where each campus is located.

For example, the Texas campus restaurant has a Latin American menu; the California campus is in the wine country and near other farming areas, so their campus restaurants pair seasonal dishes with local award winning wines; and the New York campus restaurants feature French and Italian menus, and products from the Hudson Valley.     

CIA has played a huge part in making the culinary world the well-respected, competitive, and entertaining industry that it is today. It has helped set very high standards of excellence in all areas of the food industry, and it is also teaching  people about the importance of “culinary sustainability” – which is growing, cooking, and using food in responsible ways, so that we and the planet are healthier.

To learn more about why The Culinary Institute of America is considered the most excellent and exciting culinary school in the world, go to their website: http://www.ciachef.edu/.