LICA Breaks New Ground with "Jacketing "

De La Salle Lipa Institute for Culinary Arts (LICA) introduced a new tradition last 8 September 2006. It is the first and only Culinary School to hold such an event as a way of creating a culture in culinary training , with the hope of spiritualizing the practice of the art of cooiking. In a solemn rite integrated in a Eucharistic Celebration, eight LICA students received their chef's uniform in what is termed as "Jacketing Ceremony".

Parents of the student-chefs witnessed and assisted them in the ceremony, all proud for having their children make up the first batch of the LICA enrollees. It was only last June when De La Salle Lipa started the 18-month program leading to a Degree in Culinary Arts.

Chef Robert G. Clemeña, who currently leads LICA, explains that the introduction of the "Jacketing Ceremony" for the chef-in-training brings to focus the innovativeness of the school in weaving into its curriculum a Catholic upbringing.

"We are training our culinary students to become not only cooks but chefs," he said. "Chefs with souls who know how to respect the environment, use seasonal ingredients that provide healing, sustain, and give strength to those who gather around the table of meals."

The "Jacketing Ceremony" followed a rigorous three-month "lecture-cum-demo" series that covered the basic and introductory subjects which included among others: sanitation, menu planning, knife skills, and a new course called "Culinary Ethics." A study of the French language is part of this module.

To earn the "right" to wear the Chef's Jacket, a student needs to pass the subjects and get the approval of the culinary instructors who monitor their attitude and performance.