Fueling their passion for food

Hands-on experience: One of the highlights of the trip for the students is cheese making.

SIXTEEN students and alumni from Taylor’s School of Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Arts (TCHT) recently travelled to Italy for a unique opportunity to see what they have learnt come alive.

The eight-day trip to Milan, Alba, Canelli and Parma in Italy that took place from April 29 to May 6 was specially designed and led by Chef Khairul Anuar Muhamad, a passionate chef lecturer at Taylor’s University.

These are his final diploma students as the objective was to give them real-life experience that would enhance their understanding of the relationship between the producers of food (farmers and artisans) and the consumers (the chefs and customers).

Chef Khairul said: “By understanding the relationship between the producers and the consumers, the students will have a better appreciation of ingredients and this will translate into a better final product on the plate or table.”

In addition, Chef Khairul said he wanted the students to be exposed to how broad the world of gastronomy and how exciting it can be.

“In Malaysia, we are exposed to the strong influence of Asian food and culture but to have a deeper understanding of ‘European Gastronomy’, exploration to a new place and culture with a strong, long standing food tradition and heritage, such as Italy, will broaden the students’ minds as well as fuel their passion for food.”

“Here at Taylor’s University, we truly believe that trips like this will “re-ignite” the students’ passion for food,” he added.

Three of the 16 students and alumni who went on the trip to Italy namely Chrispian Arthur, Zarif Zamzuri and Joanne Tan Soong Sin also shared their experiences.

Chrispian who is currently working as a pastry chef and also Chef Khairul’s former student, said the trip has helped him to look at things from different perspectives and allowed him to be more creative.

“The trip also reminded me on the importance of having strict standards and keeping my end products at a consistent quality.

“It was interesting to learn and experience the process of where food products were harvested, produced and the steps involved to reach our tables,” he said.

The trip, he added, has helped him to appreciate and understand the ingredients used every day.

Zarif who is a Diploma in Culinary Arts student, agreed with Chrispian.

“We always seek something from new ingredients, knowledge and the style of cooking. I got all of that during this Italian trip,” he said.

For Joanne who is pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Patisserie & Gastronomic Cuisine in August, one of the most memorable experiences she had was the visit to the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory in Parma.

“I learned that not all factories in Italy that produce parmesan cheese can call their product Parmigiano-Reggiano.

“I had the chance to see the cheese making process and also gained insights on the strict standards imposed on the quality of the cheese produced before it is distributed to the market to be sold to the consumers,” she said.

Zarif said he was also exposed to new ingredients that he had not used previously in his cooking including the local fruits, vegetables and pasta that are rare or almost impossible to get in Malaysia.

“For example, when we were in Alba, we got the chance to make pasta from scratch under the supervision of the “Nonna” who is the best cook in every family.” he said.

The highlight of the trip for the students was the opportunity to learn and cook with the local chefs.

They got to experience making pasta from scratch, cooking popular regional dishes such as Tajarin (tagliatelle) with ragu and Bunet with Barolo Chinato (chocolate and amaretti cookies pudding).

They also learnt about wine and grappa and cheese making.

TCHT dean Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan said: “Such trips provide students with hands-on experience, exposing them to industry practices and preparing them for the real world even before they leave the university.”