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The Pathway to Becoming a Sustainable Chef
The Pathway to Becoming a Sustainable Chef
Mastering the vegetarian philosophy from farm to table.
As certified Green Globe members, sustainability and responsibility for our planet are in our DNA. The idea to lead the way with an all-vegetarian culinary pathway in our bachelor's program was a natural choice with the aim to inspire more chefs to practice vegetarian cuisine.
"We want to keep innovating the culinary field, so the decision to launch the program wasn’t hard. We are also planning to get the students to grow their own ingredients, so they really develop a relationship with the product and care about it," explains Tanja Florethal, Dean at Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland.
Vegetarian cuisine and education are so much more than creating a recipe without animal protein. It’s about the philosophy around the product, from farm to table. On campus, we have more than 250,000 bees buzzing in the facility bee garden. Our students make their own soap and every leftover crumb from the culinary students becomes biofuel!
We want to encourage creativity when it comes to vegetarian food, so more food lovers can experience a proper plant-based meal.
It’s not just about finding a substitute for meat but to show that a plant-based diet is just as delicious. Too often the risotto is the only vegetarian meal on the menu. We want to encourage creativity when it comes to vegetarian food, so more food lovers can experience a proper plant-based meal.
Beyond the essentials of vegetarian cooking
Culinary Art's Academy Switzerland's program in vegetarian cuisine is designed so that both inexperienced and professional chefs can take something away with them for their careers.
The vegetarian chef is someone that creates value out of the product and creates an experience for the customer while honouring the craftsmanship.
The curriculum aims to create a relationship with the product and to help students understand the whole philosophy around it. You will learn how to move beyond finding a substitute for meat, and find out how to bring out the special flavours of the plant onto the plate.
As well as focusing on dish presentation, restaurant management, vegan desserts and vegetarian fine-dining, you will learn to pair your dishes with wine, beer, whiskey and non-alcoholic options.
More than a trend
The benefits of a plant-based diet go beyond health as we see firsthand the impacts on our planet with the overconsumption of meat and fish. We need to take ethical consideration when choosing our food, how it is produced and the chemicals used along the way.
"We are not here to shame people that eat meat, we simply want to show a different view of what great food can be", shares Alain Muller, Assistant Dean.
The program will teach people that there is a very tasty and healthy alternative to meat that can even have the same texture and taste if you want. Everyone has a different view of vegetarian cuisine depending on your culture, but we all benefit from the health aspects in the same way.
At the end of the course, we will arm you with the culinary tools to serve your customer a vegetarian experience above all expectations – while honoring the product and planet at the same time.
Discover this chef instructor's favourite vegetarian recipe or find out more about our bachelor's program.
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