We were happy to host a group of culinary students from Estonia's Tartu Vocational College through the ERASMUS+ Mobility Program recently. After the study period at Kul IN, we organized an internship for them in partnership with the Le Meridien Lav hotel in Split.
During the program at Kul IN, the students mastered culinary techniques, thermal processing and portioning and presentation of the dishes they prepared every day in the kitchen.
After Kul IN portion of the program, they were ready to start their internship in the professional environment.
We asked the students to share their thoughts about the program and learned more about why they decided to study abroad.
Check out they told us!
BECOMING A BETTER CHEF THROUGH NEW EXPERIENCES
KALMER: Basically, I wanted to become a better chef, and studying abroad gives you the opportunity to encounter different culinary techniques and get a better understanding of other cultures. We covered different themes at Kul IN to prepare for the internship, but my favorite thing was learning to prepare risotto the correct way. The internship should be full of fast paced work, new recipes and fun colleagues.
NEW CUISINE AND NEW DISHES TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS
ANU: I applied for this study abroad opportunity because I wanted to prove myself and work on my insecurities and fears. My goal was to change my setting, experience different cuisine and meet new people. I can’t wait to learn even more new dishes and take them home with me for my family and all the other loved ones to try. I loved it when we learned how to prepare lambchops. In Estonia, lamb is rarer and more considered a delicacy.
SPICING THINGS UP WITH THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
MARLEEN: I loved that I learned how to prepare lamb, duck, ratatouille, and risotto. Wine pairing lesson was also something new for me. I have done internships back home, so I wanted to spice things up and do an internship and study program in Croatia. I knew it would expand my worldview. I acquired new culinary skills and practiced English of course. It was very interesting to see how a same dish can be prepared in different ways depending on where in the world you are. I hope the internship will be full of beautiful views, new skills and techniques and nice team.
INSPIRATION TO TRY NEW TECHNIQUES
SYLVIA: Learning about and working within a new culinary culture gives you a different view of the culinary world and inspires you to try new things. I was excited to work with ingredients that are not as common in Estonia, so the wine pairing class and seafood lessons were my favorite, and I was surprised by the simplicity of flavoring the dishes here. I’m excited to learn even more new ways of preparing and making food, and practice what I have learned.
