Practical training for students aiming to become registered dietitians: Food Service Management Practice I - Mass Cooking

In "Food Service Management Practice I," students are responsible for everything from creating menus to planning the cooking process. The practical training simulates large-scale cooking, and students are divided into four roles: registered dietitian, nutritionist, cook, and serving.

Today's menu is: rice, fried chicken style, Chinese-style sweet and sour pickled cabbage, Chinese soup, and orange jelly.

The practical training in school meal management begins with inspecting the ingredients. After measuring the surface temperature of the ingredients to confirm that they are safe to use, the process moves on to washing the ingredients. During the washing process, students were observed carefully washing the ingredients, paying close attention to ensure that no foreign objects were attached to leafy vegetables.

The fried chicken-style dish was cooked using a steam convection oven, which is commonly used for mass cooking. After heating, the internal temperature was measured to ensure it was served at the appropriate temperature. Furthermore, the students worked together to create an efficient and visually appealing presentation during plating.

After cooking was finished, a student in charge of registered dietitians tasted the food to check for any problems with the taste, appearance, and safety, and then the entire class sampled it.

During the tasting session, we will conduct a questionnaire about the menu, reflect on the practical training, and consider areas for improvement for next time. I am very much looking forward to seeing how they will utilize this experience in future training and how they will grow.

(Source) Laboratory of Culinary Research