What Do You Learn in Culinary School?

What do you learn in culinary school?

Do you possess a creative flair for food and enjoy making meals for others? Can you be found binge-watching cooking shows or are you naturally drawn to the food network channels? Then why not put that passion into practice and sharpen up those cooking skills today!

If you’re wondering, “what do you learn in culinary school?”, consider this a great introduction to what goes on behind the scenes in culinary school. For starters you may gain experience and confidence in the kitchen using a variety of styles and skill-sets, including;

  •     Food and equipment preparation
  •     Learning the basics in a wide range of cooking techniques and practices
  •     Mastering effective time management
  •     Getting creative with the aesthetics of food presentation and plating
  •     Perfecting restaurant quality service with every course

Joining a Culinary Arts program can take you from knowing the basics to specializing in a range of multiple cooking techniques through the art of ‘learning by doing’.

It’s also important to note that what you learn in culinary school will largely be dependent on you, as a student.  That’s because culinary schools will present students with a variety of opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills during their education.  As a student, you should seize every opportunity you can to learn as much as you can during your culinary training.

Want to know more about what you can learn in culinary school? Continue reading to find out!

Speak to Dorsey College about our excellent Culinary Arts program today!

What Do You Learn in Culinary School?

The culinary industry is one where you have the opportunity to never stop learning new and exciting culinary skills as a cook, regardless of whether or not you have experience in a professional kitchen.

So, if you have dabbled in cooking before or you’re a complete novice, studying for a Culinary Arts diploma can add much more structure to your cooking and your learning process. After all, don’t you want to forget all those bad habits and shortcuts you may have picked up?

What do you learn in culinary school – well, there are so many exciting elements

to cooking you can learn about, including;

  •   Food science and nutrition
  •   Identifying flavors and flavor development
  •   Creative menu planning and successful food pairing
  •   Learning new knife skills, blade styles, and butchering techniques
  •   Stylish plating presentation
  •   New and exotic regional and international cuisines

Studying under trained chefs at Dorsey College’s Culinary Arts program, you may absorb the art of cooking through practice and repetition. Any chef worth their salt would agree that mastering consistency is key to becoming a legend in the kitchen.

Culinary Arts – Learning the Basics

Before you leap into the diverse world of food, it’s crucial to build a knowledge platform to prepare you to work in a professional kitchen or workplace.

What do you learn in culinary school? Essentially, students can learn the fundamental cooking skills that professional chefs have likely trained on, including;

  •     Safe food and kitchen sanitation practices
  •     Kitchen, food, and equipment preparation (or as the Pros call it ‘mise en place’)
  •     A variety of knife skills and the true benefits of using a sharp knife
  •     A range of cooking methods and superb time management
  •     Food presentation and serving

These are the primary skills needed, and once perfected, this is where culinary arts can get exciting.

The Foundations of Culinary Arts Provide the Tools to Grow

A successful cooking school may not only teach you the core elements of cooking. At Dorsey College, you could also learn the joys of experimenting with different cooking techniques, skills, and ingredients.

What do you learn in culinary school when you study at Dorsey College?  Well, part of that is up to you, but the team at Dorsey College is committed to exposing students to a vast amount of knowledge and techniques to help them pursue their culinary career.

Working with industry-current culinary technology and equipment, our expert chef instructors provide superb classroom instruction and hands-on training on a wide range of skills, including;

  •   How to bake bread and desserts from scratch
  •   Selecting, preparing, and cooking a steak to order
  •   Exploring nutrition and learning how to make healthy substitutions in recipes
  •   Creating the perfect stock
  •   Nappe consistency – discovering your hidden flair for sauces

Expanding Your Culinary Arts Skill-set

Soon you could be making homemade chicken stock from scratch and preparing dishes that your friends and family will love. However, it’s vital that a culinary school teaches many aspects of working in a kitchen, not just the principal elements.

Dorsey College’s program provides culinary students with supervised, off-site externships. These programs offer real-time experience in a professional kitchen.

This is an excellent way to learn more about the professional standards and practices required in the culinary industry from the experts themselves. These hands-on experiences may enhance your skills-set, whichever culinary field you pursue after graduation.

Where You Can Work with A Culinary Arts Diploma

Not only could your family get to taste the benefits of your culinary diploma. You now also have the chance to forge a new career in a fantastic variety of professional kitchen environments as a sous chef, line cook, or even a baker.

Many Dorsey College Culinary Arts graduates get the chance to start their new careers working in restaurants locally. As a new graduate with a culinary arts diploma, you may find yourself working in one of the following industries:

  •   Casinos, bars, restaurants, and country clubs
  •   University, colleges, and school kitchens
  •   Hotels, resorts, airports, and cruise ships
  •   High-end events catering outlets
  •   Personal chefs

If you’re looking for a more flexible schedule to work around you and your family, many culinary students, once they have graduated, could also become;

  •   Home cooks for private clients offering flexible hours
  •   Cooking influencers, creating culinary tutorials via social media channels
  •   Simply the provider of delicious, healthy meals to ensure everyone in the family’s well-being

When people ask us what do you learn in culinary school? We genuinely believe students can gain the confidence to take on any of these challenges!

Continue Honing Your Culinary Skills After Gaining Your Diploma

After graduation, culinary school students will often pursue their passion for cooking and turn it into a full-time career.

Even if you have a preferred niche you may want to follow, gaining a Culinary Arts diploma can provide graduates with an excellent opportunity to experiment with different workplace environments.

Take That Exciting First Step into the World of Food Today!

Created and run by expert chef instructors, Dorsey College’s Culinary Arts program provides students with high-level culinary education, support, and practical experience.

Learning the fundamentals is only one part of the process, as exposing you to various cuisines and cooking styles helps you thrive in a wider range of culinary and catering environments.

Dorsey College’s flexible one-year program can help prepare you to complete your Culinary Arts diploma, combining:

  •   Theoretical classroom-based learning
  •   Hands on learning with current culinary technology and equipment
  •   Supervised hands-on externships in a professional kitchen

We also want to make it easy for you to study. With flexible classes designed to fit around your life and family commitments, choose when you learn with our morning, afternoon, and evening class schedules.

​​Soon when people next ask what do you learn in culinary school, you can tell them Dorsey College gave you the tools and experience to kick-start an exciting new career in cooking!

Sign up for Dorsey College’s Culinary Arts program and start your journey today!

Important additional information

While education and training will start you on your journey, learning the skills required can often be an individual process. While you will never stop learning in any culinary field, it’s important to note that learning is only part of the process and that it can take months and years to perfect these skills.