Centre de Recherche et d'Études pour l'Alimentation (The Culinary Research and Education Academy or CREA) is a culinary academy and food science think tank that provides training and consultation services for food industry professionals in the

sous-vide Sous vide (; French for 'under vacuum'), also known as low-temperature, long-time (LTLT) cooking, is a method of cooking in which food is placed in a plastic pouch or a glass jar and cooked in a water bath for longer than usual cooking times (usu ...

cooking method, as well as other food-forward techniques. CREA was established in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1991 by

Bruno Goussault Bruno Goussault (born 26 January 1942) is a French scientist, economist, inventor, and chef. He is best known for developing and promoting the modern sous-vide (French for "under vacuum") method of cooking. Before becoming the Chief Scientist at Cu ...

and is the service arm of its parent company,

Cuisine Solutions Cuisine Solutions is an American premium foods company that specializes in the sous-vide method of cooking and meal preparation. Originally founded in 1971 under the name Vie de France, the company now maintains headquarters and manufacturing facil ...

History

Credited with developing modern sous-vide,

’s work with low-temperature, under-vacuum cooking dates back to the 1970s, during which he conducted a study that demonstrated how cooking beef shoulder sous-vide extended its shelf life to 60 days. Following a partnership with three-star chef

Joël Robuchon Joël Robuchon (, 7 April 1945 – 6 August 2018) was a French chef and restaurateur. He was named "Chef of the Century" by the guide Gault Millau in 1989, and awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's best worker) in cuisine in 1976. ...

in the 1980s to create a menu featuring sous-vide prepared foods for the

Société nationale des chemins de fer français The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic ...

(

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffi ...

, "National society of French railways" or "French National Railway Corporation"), France's national train system, Goussault received encouragement from Robuchon to open a sous-vide training center. CREA opened its doors in Paris in 1991 to teach students the proper techniques and safety precautions necessary for sous-vide cooking. Since then, Goussault and his team of food engineers and culinary professionals have helped to train over 80% of chefs with three

Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The ac ...

stars, including

Thomas Keller Thomas Aloysius Keller (born October 14, 1955) is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Founda ...

Yannick Alléno Yannick Alléno (born 16 December 1968) is a French chef who operates the restaurants Pavillon Ledoyen and L'Abysse in Paris and Le 1947 in Courchevel. He has been awarded twelve Michelin stars in his career. Biography Born on 16 December 196 ...

Anne-Sophie Pic Anne-Sophie Pic (, born 12 July 1969) is a French chef best known for regaining three Michelin stars for her restaurant, Maison Pic, in southeast France. She is the fourth female chef to win three Michelin stars, and was named the Best Female C ...

, Guy Savoy, and

Michel Bras Michel Bras (born 4 November 1946) is a French chef. His restaurant located in Laguiole in the Aveyron was rated three stars in the Guide Michelin since 1999. It is also classed in the "Relais & Châteaux" since 1992. He was classed several time ...

Courses & offerings

In addition to holding sous-vide courses at its Paris location, CREA has expanded to offer training sessions at its Test Kitchen in Sterling, Virginia, global seminars, and on-site customized instruction at food organizations around the world. CREA also offers online courses on culinary techniques such as the sous-vide method, mixology, butchery, food safety, and food quality. Aside from its training classes, CREA provides full-service consultation to various stakeholders in the food industry, including menu engineering, quality assurance, food safety, food quality, kitchen design, facility development, labor reduction, operational excellence, and equipment procurement.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes pour l'Alimentation Cooking schools