Last Thursday night, The Culinary School of Fort Worth took part in a sake tasting event that was hosted by the Sanders Travel Center and Fort Worth Sister Cities International.

The event was designed to feature sake from the Asahi Syuzo brewery in Nagaoka, Japan. Along with the sake samples, guests took part in an hour long zoom presentation and Q&A session with a representative from Asahi Syuzo.

While sampling sake and listening to the presentation, guests were also encouraged to sample Japanese food prepared by chefs and students from The Culinary School of Fort Worth.

Chef Ethan Starr prepared sushi rolls (California, spicy tuna, and vegetarian) with help from fourth semester student Linda. Chef Ched Pagtakhan prepared takoyaki, a Japanese dish made of fried batter and octopus, with help from CSFTW’s Kitchen Manager Felix, fourth semester student Allison, and first semester student Ailsa.

Students were given lab hours for participating in the event, but more importantly, gained great real-world experience that will help them when they are ready to start their internships and begin working in the professional field.

“The sake sampling event was a great experience for our students,” Chef Starr said. “They were able to see the planning, preparation, and teamwork that goes into an off-site event while also being exposed to cuisine from the Japanese culture.”

Chef Starr and the rest of the staff at The Culinary School of Fort Worth look forward to taking part in more events like this in the future to help the students gain more experience outside of the classroom and to build up their network before entering the professional world.

For those that were unable to attend the event, or would like to buy sake from Asahi Syuzo, click here.

To learn more about Sanders Travel Center and Fort Worth Sister Cities International, please use the links provided.

Written by James Creange.