The students of the first year of the degree in Gastronomy of the European University of the Atlantic (UNEATLANTICO) presented an international menu, within the framework of the subject “Culinary Techniques II” under the supervision of the coordinator of the degree, Marina Pelayo.
The main objective of this activity is to give the students the experience of working on a menu for real clients. Pelayo stresses that part of the practice focuses on “them doing the service practically on their own”. The international menu featured typical recipes from Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico, as it was prepared by students from these countries who wanted to share the flavours of their homelands.
Prior to the presentation of the service, the students of “Culinary Techniques II“, had to take care of the raw materials in advance, as well as preparing and plating them.
About the menu
The menu, under the name “EcuaGuatMex“, featured a ceviche jipijapa as the first starter. The typical dish from the Ecuadorian coast, prepared with fish and tiger’s milk with peanut paste, mixed both marine and tropical flavours. The second starter consisted of birria and al pastor tacos. The al pastor taco, one of the most popular dishes in Mexico, was accompanied by pineapple and chilli sauce. The birria taco, popular in both Mexico and Guatemala, consisted of a meat stew marinated in coriander and onion. For the main course, the students prepared a chicken in pipian, a traditional Guatemalan dish, characterised by the use of pumpkin seeds in its preparation.
Finally, the dessert consisted of a lemon pie with a spicy touch. It was flamed with tequila and presented with a lime to simulate the experience of taking a sip of tequila.
It should be noted that in its vocation to train professionals who know the theory, but who are able to execute it in a practical activity, the degree in Gastronomy and specifically the subject of “Culinary Techniques II” trains students to integrate quality standards in the field of gastronomy, as well as to adopt the skills to properly organise and plan the professional practice of gastronomy.