Singapore students travel to California for culinary experience

Students pursuing their bachelor's degrees at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) travel to a major culinary region of the world for a Food, Wine, and (Agri)culture course.

They visit wineries and farms, meat and fish purveyors, food producers and suppliers, and restaurants as they become fully immersed in experiencing the authentic ingredients of the cuisine of the region they visit.

Now, as part of their studies, students in the first bachelor's degree class at the CIA's campus in Singapore are taking part in this travel program. Thirty-three students from the college's first international campus in Asia will travel in Northern California from August 29 to September 17. Among their stops will be the CIA's Greystone campus in St. Helena on Wednesday, August 31.

"These students have just completed their most intense semester of technical courses: History and Cultures of the Americas, Wine Studies, Menu Development, and Controlling Costs and Purchasing Food," said Chef Eve Felder, managing director of the CIA Singapore. "They are armed with a huge amount of knowledge and are just waiting to see how all of this information is applied in the field."

Since 1994, baccalaureate students based at the college's Hyde Park, NY campus have been traveling to Northern California, Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Italy, Spain, or China for their travel experience.

"The Food, Wine, and (Agri)culture course prepares CIA students to be scholars rather than tourists, so they can appreciate the experience thoughtfully," said Associate Professor Jean Morris, coordinator of the course. "The trip is unparalleled, and a key component of the college's curriculum, because it allows students to truly live the education they receive in the classroom."

The students on this trip will be completing their bachelor's degree studies in Singapore in early 2013.