Unique culinary roles that students may find appetizing

In an interview with the New York Times, famous chef Anne Willan was asked what she thought had changed in the culinary world since she got her start in 1972. She responded with two answers: the new ingredients introduced into the field and the wide variety of cooking careers that have launched themselves into the industry's public eye. For students considering joining classes at a career training college, the prospect of culinary classes may lead them to believe they must work in a kitchen after graduation. With the wide variety of options at their disposal, that's far from the truth.

Culinary trendologist

The trends in culinary culture are what determine the recipes and products that make it onto restaurant menus and supermarket shelves, and trendologists help companies know what's going to be big, according to Delish. "My goal is to keep an eye on the whole landscape," trendologist Kara Nielsen told the news source, which means she studies blogs, news from around the culinary industry, and menus. Frequently, this requires traveling across the country, watching food television to see what's new and popular and speaking to countless customers about what they love, hate and can't get enough of.

Foragers

Have you ever wondered how the trendiest and newest ingredients make it from obscurity to culinary fame? If you're interested in blazing new trails in the food world, becoming a forager may be the perfect position. Foragers source food from all over – one who spoke to the news source travels to farmer's markets and actual farms, looking for produce, cheeses, and meats, just to name a few. In addition, any novelties that could gain traction with the general public are highly important, as they could unknowingly become a massive hit. Foragers frequently track purchases and research new offerings regularly, working to keep the trendiest restaurants at the forefront of the culinary tastemaking world.

Recipe tester and developer

Those precise measurements found in all kinds of cookbooks come from somewhere, and that place is the laboratories and kitchens of the recipe tester. Different projects lead these specialty experts to create their own flavor combinations or work to perfect chefs' recipes that are close to success. In the field, a wide knowledge of different cooking techniques, cooking temperatures and flavor combinations, to name just a few, can help create the best flavor combinations and measurement conversions possible. In the field of cooking, getting to develop the latest trends may appeal to the average student more than following them.

Gourmet buyer

Another role that needs its employees to explore the latest needs of the industry, gourmet buyers will frequent conventions and festivals to find out what products consumers most and least enjoy in their daily purchases. "Eighty percent of the buyer's job is to evaluate current product mix," said Kara Rubin, who works as a buyer for Whole Foods.

Buyers also work to better determine what should be added and removed from store shelves to help meet customer needs as best as possible. They, too, must work to find the latest trends and demands, but their work is frequently adopted around the country.

Flavor Guru

For those who have ever wondered how companies like Ben and Jerry's decide their latest ice cream and frozen yogurt flavors, the answer is their flavor gurus. Part of the job description is a hearty appetite – one worker at Ben and Jerry's may eat up to five pints of ice cream a week, helping confirm the best new flavors possible. One requirement of the work? Determining how hot a chipotle-flavored style of the cold dish needs to be. Using the skills developed in culinary classes, students may find this job role delicious.