What is a Culinary Arts Program?

What is a Culinary Arts Program? Culinary arts programs are what most of us think of when it comes to cooking as a professional. Chefs, sous chefs, celebrity cooks, bakers, line cooks – many of these individuals graduated or attended a culinary arts program. These programs are all about food science, from understanding the nutritional content of raw materials to combining flavors and mastering tricky culinary techniques. The “art” side of the program comes into play because of how much individual creativity goes into combining flavors to create dishes that others will enjoy. Most culinary arts professionals work in a kitchen of some kind. Although well-rounded culinary arts programs will include some coursework on issues of restaurant management, food safety, and the more technical aspects of kitchen maintenance, most of the focus is on the food: how to prepare it, how to cook it, and how to make it look like a work of art.