What Kind of Cuisine Does Miami Have to Offer?

The city of Miami, Florida boasts an incredible cultural scene. In addition to the amazing scenery, warm climate year-round and the amazing diversity, it has a wide variety of cuisine types and more than a thousand eateries in and around the city. For this reason, it is one of the most popular cities for aspiring chefs to attend cooking school.

Whether you are interested in taking a course in knife handling skills, becoming a fully qualified chef, learning the art of pastry, working in restaurant management or even in hospitality management, you can find a culinary school in Miami to meet your needs. Here are some of the many different cuisine styles you can find, dine on, cook and perfect while attending on the various culinary arts schools in Miami.

Caribbean Cuisine

Thanks to extensive colonization of the Caribbean and increased tourism over the last several decades, the cuisine among the islands is a unique blend of Indian, Chinese and African cuisine. In Miami, the proximity to many Caribbean Islands has meant that many eateries serve foods from places like Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Haiti. Along with traditional favorites like Callaloo and Black Cake, chefs in Miami create fusion foods using the spices and cooking methods of the Caribbean along with fresh ingredients available in Florida.

Floribbean Cuisine

As the name suggests, Floribbean cuisine is a mixture of Floridian and Caribbean cuisine. Although it may seem similar to Caribbean cuisine with a fusion twist, it is actually an amalgamation of immigrant tastes and flavors over time. Although traditionally Florribbean fare focused more on the recipes featuring African and Caribbean ingredients, today it has major influences from the Mediterranean and Asia thanks to a new influx of tourists and immigrants. Floribbean food is characterized by lots of spices, fresh local ingredients, heavy use of citrus and acids and an emphasis on clean and symmetrical presentation.

Cuban Cuisine

Since Cuba is located just miles from Miami, it should come as no surprise that the cuisine of this southern Floridian city is so heavily influenced by the island nation. Cuban food often consists of basic ingredients, such as the island’s staples of rice and beans, prepared with bold and bright spices and herbs. Pork and chicken are the most common meats within the Cuban diet, and both are primarily served in soups or stews. Particular Cuban favorites found commonly within Miami are the Cuban sandwich, made with ham, cheese and pickles, the Cuban espresso and tasty flour croquettes.

Southern American Cuisine

Although many Caribbean, African and Cuban foods are very popular within Miami, there is no doubt that it also has many strong influences from the United States. Southern American cuisine may be more popular in the north of Florida or in neighboring states like Georgia and Alabama, but there is still a noticeable number of eateries in Miami that offer fried chicken, stewed green vegetables, biscuits and fruit cobblers. Many Cuban and Caribbean favorites have been made in miniature, slightly bland or even fried versions to appeal to the American tastes.

New World Cuisine

Among the top chefs and aspiring culinary arts students attending culinary school in Miami, New World Cuisine is a growing area of interest. The style of cooking was originally created by chefs Norman Van Aken, Allen Susser, Douglas Rodriguez and Mark Militello. Today, this style of cooking simply means using local ingredients and international recipes and flavors to create delicious, beautifully prepared foods, typically by using some form of seafood.

With so many culinary schools in Miami, anyone interested in attending a chef school will have plenty of choices as well as plenty of opportunities to pursue many varying styles of cuisine. Explore your options at www.cooking-culinary-arts-schools.org to find the right program and the right cooking school to help you realize your culinary career goals.