Regional Stages: Ireland, Scotland, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna

From March 20–30, 2007, the students in the first year of the degree course at the University of Gastronomic Sciences will be traveling through Scotland, Ireland, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. They will be the first regional stages for the young students from all over the world, brought together by a strong passion for gastronomy; and important learning experience that will help bring to life the subjects they have been studying in the classroom since the start of the academic year in October 2006.

During the stage in Ireland the students will come into contact with different typical local products, including beer, a range of raw-milk cheeses and seafood. The stage will start with a seminar at Bord Bia, the organization created by the Irish government to promote the development of the Irish food and beverage market. One whole day will dedicated to beer and its history in Ireland, including lessons on chemistry, the raw materials, malting, fermentation, aging and blending. Comparative tastings will help them learn how to identify and judge the sensory characteristics. Other topics that will be studied during the stage are butter, Irish whiskey and compost.

Traditional products with their roots in the land will be the object of study in Veneto. In this northeastern Italian region the students will be able to understand more fully the local products and rich gastronomic culture, focusing particularly on vinification, alcoholic fermentation and the differences between steel and wood in winemaking. Among the wines studied are Soave, Valpolicella and Prosecco. Other themes include cheesemaking, with particular attention paid to organic agriculture, pasta production (including durum wheat and egg pastas) and an IGP product, Cimdolmo white asparagus. The stage concludes with a visit to an agri-tourism farm where the productive experience will be analyzed.

A third group of students will be traveling around Emilia-Romagna, in the heart of Italy, spending two weeks learning about the cultural and culinary heritage of one of the country’s gastronomically richest regions. During the first days in Emilia the students will learn about the following products, tracing their production chains and visiting production facilities: prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano, culatello di Zibello, traditional balsamic vinegar and Brisighella olive oil. In Romagna the stage is focused on two Slow Food presidia, the Mora Romagnola pig and Raviggiolo cheese. Several days will be devoted to seafood, particularly fish like anchovies and sardines, while one day will dedicated to homemade fresh pasta.

The fourth group has the chance to visit Scotland, particularly the Highlands and islands. The stage starts in Wark Farm, and following an introduction to the Aberdeenshire region there will be a tasting of the farm’s fresh produce. During the first days themes include artisanal bread and whisky. One day is dedicated to Scottish agricultural techniques from prehistory to the present day. Beer and cheese tastings are also included in the program, as are visits to farms where Aberdeen cattle are raised for the famous beef. The second half of the stage takes place in the Shetlands. The first day on these isolated islands will be spent with the Economic Development Unit where they will attend an introductory lesson on the characteristics of the islands. The rest of the stage will be dedicated to typical products like Shetland Bere, a cereal which grows only here and in the Orkneys, mussels, sustainable and organic cod and farmed oysters, including a visit to a shop owned by the crew of a whitefish boat who now process and sell their own catch.