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The Italian Culinary Program is a one-year course dedicated to authentic Italian Cuisine. Gain a strong foundation, helping you to reach an advanced level with mastery of the techniques to become a real professional of Italian cuisine. This is the perfect path if you wish to become a chef or boost your career. The course is divided into two units, both structured with: - A residential phase, w...

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Program Highlights

Become a real professional of Italian Cuisine, mastering techniques and learning true Italian Culinary traditions.

Visit local producers around the country and taste real Italian products.

Gain an international experience by completing your traineeship in the most important restaurants in Italy, including Michelin-starred restaurants and fine dining restaurants.

Meet the most important Italian Chefs who share with you their secrets and philosophy in the kitchen.

Learn the Italian language in a different way, enjoying your free time with Italian and international fellow students.

Quick Details

Locations
  • Parma, Italy
Availability
Year(s) OfferedYear RoundTerms Available:
  • Fall
  • Spring
  • Winter
  • May Term
Age Requirement:Varies
Types & Subjects:
  • Culinary Arts
  • Hospitality
Guidelines:
  • All Nationalities
See all program details

Awards

Program Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about the programs

Overall Rating

10

Total Reviews

1

My ALMA experience- ALMA viva

by: Binita Debnath - IndiaProgram: Italian Culinary Program
10

I came to ALMA-La scuola internazionale di cucina italiana in the spring of 2018 on a fresh and beautiful day. I am an engineer who loves to cook, found the courage to be a professional cook of Italian cuisine and took the flight to Italy. Having some idea of Italy and very clear dreams and ambitions I started my journey. To me cooking is an art. Everyone cooking the same dish with same ingredients but the dish didn't taste the same from everyones hands. I wondered why? As an engineer, I wanted to organise, to be efficient, to measure, to plan the time and increase my output not just in the mechanical but in the artistic way. I wanted to learn the professional cooking that tastes the best as 'made with love...' At ALMA I stared with the fundamentals, the history of Italian gastronomy, the Maestro Gualtiero Marchesi Philosophy, the local ingredients, the seasonal ingredients, the story behind each product and along side, the kitchen training with salads and dressings was the start of hands on kitchen trainig lesson. Every lesson, I learnt not just by reading or following the recipe but there are many little details that differentiates professional cook from a good professional cook. The simple salad can be visually appealing if the leaves are treated well- crisp fresh leaves not wet with water not wilting but ‘Just right!’ With practice and support from my trainer chefs, I learned the 'Just right'... the just right thickness of pasta for ravioli, the just right seasoning and cheese in risotto, the just right al dente of pasta, the just right acidity of mayonese, the just right cooked sea food, the just right sauce consistency, the just right cook of medium rare meat and so on.… and that definitely is not easy, it came to me with practice and practice and practice... After many learning and practice lessons and I was ready to move out of training kitchen and step into the world of professional restaurant kitchen. I went for the traineeship part of my course under the watchful eyes and well trained hands of Chef Paolo Lopriore, Ristorante IL PORTICO in Appiano Gentile in Lombardy. I started with my work and also my grammarless Italian talking… It was just an assembly of words without any tenses… And I survived as everyone helped and corrected me and now I talk fluently and even translate… yippie! I learnt and took responsibility and gradually my Maestro and me had an understanding… I knew what to do and what to handle… The connection of the restaurant and its kitchen and the brigade with the service people seemed like an orchestra and I knew my place and could help others and control sudden rush or unexpected slow. Time to move forward again… and I moved into the TWO MICHELIN STAR kitchen of Chef Valeria Piccini, Ristorante Da Caino on Montemerano of Tuscany. She is a SHEF!! An iron lady of a chef consistently holding her michelin stars over two decades, she has the brightest smile and the warmest hug. She honed me like chef sharpening their blade, made me observe and realise the tiny aspects that matter when you have stars. The happiness of holding that rank and the pressure of living up to that rank, nothing is a hurdle to ambition. She taught me precision, making sure that I have it ingrained in me and I do…, it runs in my blood. She knows that too and every time I meet her, I get that big warm hug. Now As I look back, I wonder… Am I the engineer with the love for cooking? Yes and No. I am the engineer and the chef and the possibility to be both in the vast canvas of gastronomy filled with possibility for every field. I am presisely what Iwant to be. The chef is my added character that is confident with cooking. I am what I am today is because not just me, but everyone around me made it possible. My deep gratitude and heartfelt thanks to everyone in ALMA-La scuola internazionale di cucina italiana who helped and worked from my enrollment, through my lessons, throughout the journey of my course to now keeping in touch with me… for this beautiful experience.

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • Parma, Italy

Types and Subjects

  • Subjects & Courses
  • Culinary Arts
  • Hospitality

Availability

Years Offered: Year Round

Age Requirement

Age Requirement Varies

Guidelines

  • All Nationalities
  • This Program is also open to Solo, Group

Program Cost Includes

  • Tuition & Fees
  • Some Program Activity Costs
  • Some Meals / Partial Meal Plan
  • Some Equipment

Accommodation Options

  • Apartment/Flat
  • Independent living

Qualifications & Experience

Any/All Education Levels Accepted

Application Procedures

  • Online Application
  • Resume
  • Letters of Reference
  • Phone/Video Interview

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