How Gastronomy Progresses

THE FOUNDATION OF A SOLID KITCHEN...

Last week,

I was a guest at USLA's (International Service and Flavor Academy) special program, which is part of the four-month chef training.

Sensory analysis expert and author Elvan Uysal Bottoni was joined by two prominent figures from Italy in Istanbul:

Marco Rizzo, a well-known producer in Italian olive oil, and Nerio Baratta from Slow Food Campania. Both had come on behalf of the Oleum International Tasters Association, and at the end of the three days, students were awarded the association's first step certificate.

In the first part of the program, Nerio Baratta explained olive oil from a technical perspective. Then, Marco Rizzo defined the three fundamental sensory characteristics at the center of tasting - fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency - through examples. One of the most educational parts of the training was tasting defective oils. We tried to understand which mistake stemmed from which production stage. Understanding why an olive oil is not 'good' is actually as important as recognizing a good olive oil.

Same olive family, different cultures

Later, we moved on to local varieties. Elvan Uysal Bottoni prepared a section where olives grown in Turkey were compared with their well-studied relatives in Italy. It was quite striking to see how the same olive family could achieve completely different results in different production cultures. On one hand, you see Turkey's potential, and on the other, the differences in production discipline and technique. Local olives, different olive oils, and food pairings were studied. In fact, with each of the oils available - even the defective ones - students made mayonnaise and witnessed how the character of the oil immediately revealed itself in the emulsion. This small exercise was quite educational in terms of understanding the behavior of olive oil in the kitchen.

I learned that USLA plans to continue these types of modules with different product topics. I find this approach very valuable. It is not possible to create a creative kitchen without knowing a product's aromatic character, production process, defects, and potential. True mastery in gastronomy often begins with understanding the ingredients before the technique.

One of the contributors to the realization of this training program was Fayton olive oils, produced in Ayvalık. A young brand still in its second season; however, they have a production structure that works with quite old trees. During the training, we tasted not only their oils but also those from different producers in Turkey and Italy. The aim of the program was not to highlight a single brand but to understand olive oil in a holistic way.

When Elvan Uysal Bottoni first heard that it was a sponsored program, she thought, "I guess we will be expected to praise the sponsor." However, when she saw the opposite approach during the organization, we were all impressed by the brand's attitude. Fayton's approach of investing in the sector and being comfortable with different brands at the same table was seen as confident and constructively unfamiliar. By the way, I should mention that their olive oils received quite good ratings in tasting.

In fact, this training was not only about olive oil; it was an important reminder of the foundation of a good kitchen. The number of institutions in Turkey that consider gastronomy as a serious profession and a long-term career rather than a temporary interest or popular experience is still very few. USLA's approach differentiates exactly at this point. The academy does not see the kitchen as a hobby area;

it treats it as a production area that requires discipline, continuity, and a professional mindset. This approach starts from the student admission process. Candidates are not accepted into the program if they are deemed unsuitable for this profession. This is not a common approach in private institutions.

While USLA aims to train good chefs, it also ensures that gastronomy professionals raised in Turkey can understand the global language of gastronomy and work at international standards. For this reason, the training program does not focus solely on teaching recipes. Food safety, operational sustainability, resource management, and responsible kitchen understanding are also a natural part of the curriculum. Because today, a good kitchen is not only about making good food but also about being able to establish a system and read the ingredients correctly.

An important aspect of this approach is the academy's sectoral connections. Last summer, after being acquired by Akkomarka, which operates in five countries and encompasses over 150 restaurants, USLA's sectoral network expanded even further. Thanks to this structure, led by Chef Çiğdem Alagök, students do not only receive education in the classroom; they can access active internship opportunities, work in real kitchens, and establish direct contact with the sector after graduation. Being the first and only institution in Turkey that offers job guarantees to its graduates is also a result of this ecosystem.

The training I attended at USLA made me think not only about olive oil but also about how gastronomy can evolve. Taking ingredients seriously, sharing knowledge, and creating a common culture of quality instead of competition... The real progress of gastronomy often begins exactly where these three things intersect.

EBRU ERKE 

Source: Hürriyet Saturday