The Culinary Institute of America

Touring Todai-ji Temple | CIA Students Meet Japan’s Great Buddha

Todai-ji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nara, Japan, is one of the country’s most iconic Buddhist temple complexes—home to the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue, the legendary Great Buddha. Surrounded by the friendly wild deer of Nara Park, CIA students explore this historic site on a personal tour led by a Buddhist monk, gaining unique insight into Japan’s unique history, aesthetics, and religion. This temple excursion was a part of CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, where students spent 10 unforgettable days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Shopping for Japanese Knives | CIA Students Explore Sennichimae Doguyasuji

Sennichimae Doguyasuji in Osaka, Japan, is a renowned shopping district for everything culinary. CIA students explore the vibrant streets, discovering artisanal Japanese knives and learning what makes these handcrafted tools so special, from their precision to their centuries-old craftsmanship. This shopping excursion was a part of CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, where students spent 10 unforgettable days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

CIA Students Explore Kyoto’s Aceto | Sushi, Fusion, and Fun

Aceto, meaning “vinegar” in Italian, is a restaurant in Kyoto owned by the renowned Iio Jozo vinegar brewery, and serves Italian-Japanese fusion cuisine. CIA students enjoy a unique hands-on dining experience, wearing nori sheets around their necks and creating sushi hand-rolls from a curated buffet of dishes. Watch as tradition, creativity, and fun come together in this one-of-a-kind culinary adventure. This dinner was a part of CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, where students spent 10 unforgettable days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Exploring Japanese Vinegar | CIA Students Tour Iio Jozo in Kyoto

Founded in 1893, Iio Jozo is a fifth-generation rice vinegar brewery in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. As part of the CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration, students spent 10 unforgettable days exploring Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. In this video, watch the students tour the historic brewery and experience a special vinegar tasting, learning firsthand about this essential ingredient in Japanese cuisine.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Hands-On Soba Making in Tokyo | CIA Japanese Cuisine Program

Chef Tsuyoshi Hori and his soba chef, of Sarashina Horii Soba Restaurant in Tokyo, show CIA students how to make soba noodles with buckwheat flour. The class was held at Yanagihara Cooking School in Tokyo, which hosts students from CIA’s Japanese Cuisine Concentration each year.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Tempura in Tokyo | CIA Students Cook with a Tempura Master

From the importance of the perfect oil temperature, to working with impeccably fresh ingredients, Chef Hitoshi Arai gives CIA students a master class in making tempura. Hitoshi Arai is a tempura master and executive chef and owner of Tenko, a tempura restaurant in Tokyo.
They gather together for their lesson at Yanagihara Cooking School, a culinary school in Tokyo, that specializes in traditional Japanese cuisine, and hosts students from The Culinary Institute of America in the Japanese Cuisine and Culture Concentration program.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Chef Kenya Sakai’s Playful Take on Modern Japanese Cuisine

Chef Kenya Sakai, of Kenya Restaurant in Kyoto's Okazaki neighborhood, is known for his unique blend of Japanese, Chinese, and Western cuisines. He shows us his playful take on penne pasta by serving hollowed out burdock root with tomato sauce, as well as a dish he calls “Rice Meeting” featuring small dishes arranged around a bowl of rice.  
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/

Chef Hajime Yoneda’s “Chikyu” Dish: 110 Ingredients Celebrating Earth

Hajime Yoneda is chef of Hajime, a  Michelin three-starred restaurant in Osaka. Known for using meticulous techniques to create dishes that celebrate nature, earth, and space, his food is inspired by the natural world and features intricate plating. He shows us the restaurant’s signature "Chikyu" (Earth) dish showcasing 110 vegetables, grains, and seafood representing earth’s life cycles on a plate.
Find recipes, watch videos, read articles, and learn more about the CIA’s programs with Japan at https://www.ciajapanesekitchen.org/