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Published on 12/11/16

Culinary May term allows CAES students to take food from the farm to the table

By Merritt Melancon

University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students know a lot about the science of food and how it’s grown, but often less about the art of cuisine.

The College of Coastal Georgia (CCG) in Brunswick, Georgia, is now offering CAES students – and other students in Georgia undergraduate or graduate programs – a crash course in the culinary arts to accompany their degree.

CCG’s one-month “Intensive Culinary Experience” (ICE) will fit into UGA’s May term and provide students with an inside look at the basics of culinary theory and technique. Students will learn from the instructors at CCG’s highly sought-after culinary arts program.

“The ICE program is a great complement to our food science students’ learning experience. Many of our students seek careers in food product development, so the culinary arts perfectly matches their scientific knowledge of food chemistry, microbiology and processing,” said Jose Reyes, associate professor and undergraduate coordinator in the CAES Department of Food Science and Technology.

“This program was initially conceived for CCG culinary arts graduates to transfer to UGA and get a food science degree, but it quickly became obvious that our food science and other CAES students would also greatly benefit from it. Dean William Mounts, from CCG, has tirelessly championed this and we look forward to having the first group of CAES students participate in it in May 2017.”

In November, Chef Steve Ingersoll came to the CAES Department of Food Science and Technology for a culinary demonstration and to tempt hungry food science students to go to Brunswick this May.

“I think it helps to see how their products are going to be used in the kitchen, and it may spur them to develop new products or modify existing products so they work better,” Ingersoll said. “Plus, it’s just a great way to see how it works. To me, it seems a person in food science should know how to cook.”

The ICE program features an accelerated culinary curriculum that includes theory, cooking techniques, knife skills and pastry baking. The program is open to all undergraduate or graduate students who feel that culinary knowledge would benefit their career paths.

Students who participate in the program will enroll in CCG as transient students and will receive four credit hours that will fully transfer to UGA.

For more information about the ICE program, email CCG’s Walter Wright at wwright@ccga.edu. The deadline to apply to the ICE program is April 1, but space is limited, so applying early is encouraged.

CCG is a public, four-year institution located in Brunswick, about 15 minutes from the beaches of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Prospective students can visit www.ccga.edu for more information.

For more information about the Department of Food Science and Technology at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, visit www.foodscience.caes.uga.edu.

Merritt Melancon is a public relations manager with UGA's Terry College of Business and previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.

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