Valeggio Students Earn Top Recognition at International Culinary Competition
From Jesolo they returned with a commendation issued by the Federazione Italiana Cuochi (Italian Chefs Federation). This recognition is well-deserved by the team of students from the Istituto Alberghiero Carnacina, a school based in Valeggio, which placed seventh in the international culinary arts competition organized by the Istituto Statale Professionale per i Servizi Commerciali, Turistici, Alberghieri e della Ristorazione di Jesolo Lido.
In the final, 22 teams of young chefs competed (three French, two Austrian, one English, and the rest Italian), over two days focused on a specific theme: the use of fruit from appetizer to dessert. The challenge was won by the future chefs from the French school in Nice, closely followed by compatriots from Valence and the Austrian teams from Bad Hofgastein and Zell am Ziller.
The Nizzardi team impressed with a second course of game: a roe loin in a walnut tart. The value of the recognition awarded to the team from the branch in Valeggio (Chiara Bertagnola, Federico Vaccari, Sara Girelli accompanied by culinary teacher Diego Menegatti) lies in the fact that it was awarded by the technical jury, composed exclusively of expert chef de cuisines.
The three seventeen-year-old students in their fourth year were recognized for their perfect technical execution of the dish, a judgment that considers hygiene, cleanliness, presentation, and especially skill in the use of culinary tools.
Furthermore, the award recognized that the three students participating in the alberghiero di Bardolino program surpassed the allotted time by a significant margin when preparing a second dish: a golden pike-perch with julienne peppers, bananas, kiwis, and orange velouté.
“It was a very positive experience,” admits Chiara Bertagnola from Valeggio, who already has a seasonal job offer in London. “It allowed us to acquire notable technical skills.” Similarly, Federico Vaccari from Mantua plans to gain experience on cruise ships after completing his studies.
“Even though we didn’t win,” says Sara Girelli from Dossobuono, “we know we did our best. We will aim for other competitions before the end of the school year.”
Also pleased is Domenico Bongiovanni, deputy coordinator of the school principal Maria Grazia Lugheri, who sees the recognition as a direct acknowledgment of the high “qualitative levels” of the Valeggio branch and, consequently, the entire hotel school.