International Culinary Students Flock To Texas

Austin, Texas has quickly become a hub for music and food trends (this year SXSW was bigger than ever) and now it's also becoming an International destination for culinary students looking to learn a cuisine that few, if any, other schools offer. Rich Goldstein, CEO of The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts has announced that due to the thirst, from the worldwide community, for this type of culinary education he is expanding the school's offerings to more international students. 

Goldstein says "Natural Epicurean is excited to offer the I20 to international students because we recognize the value of the cross cultural influence of cuisine and the global need to educate our world, regardless of national borders, that food is the ultimate medicine." The school also offers a scholarship to International Students.

The school, known for it's professional chef training program that revolves around the "healing cuisines", has seen students come from as far as Israel, Thailand and South Africa. Those behind the unique program have also been thrilled to welcome students from Central & South America, as well as Canada.

Nico Decarli, a 24-year-old from Santiago, Chile says "I was supported by the school staff during my entire VISA process, making sure it was fast and easy. I currently follow a vegan diet, but was interested in other plant-based diets, so I sought out Natural Epicurean.  Through the theory classes and hands-on labs, I am gaining a broader perspective on plant-based culinary skills."

The National Restaurant Association released a survey (in 2014) showing that 60% of Chefs around the country list meatless or vegetarian items among the top culinary trends. So it's no wonder people are all over are flocking to the plant-based program.

The five core modalities the school teaches are:

Macrobiotic
Classical Vegetarian
Vegan
Ayurvedic
Raw & Living Foods

Goldstein isn't surprised that these types of cuisines are gaining popularity around the world,  "this cooking school, in combining ancient essential healing cuisines with modern western nutritional science has created a unique blend of eastern and the western approaches to culinary arts as a healing modality."

Lorena Basteris Rubio, a 22-year-old culinary student from Merida in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula says Natural Epicurean "provides the opportunity to introduce the world to 5 types of "healing" kitchens so that you can later specialize in one of them, if desired." This isn't something offered anywhere else and a specialty she hopes to bring back to her native country.