Since I started my gastronomic journey nearly eight years ago, I have experienced all sorts of emotions I never would have imagined back then: the excitement of meeting wonderful people who became friends, the thrill of discovering fascinating things, and the joy of sharing them with others; the emotion of realizing that at times, I have inspired someone; and the realization that I playfully embarked on a simple passion that has grown into a lifestyle.
However, last autumn added a series of powerful emotions to this beautiful collection—ones I certainly wouldn’t have anticipated when I took my first steps on this journey: reaching Le Cordon Bleu Paris, one of the oldest and most significant institutions in the history of gastronomy. And not just in any way, but through a unique, intensive, interdisciplinary program: Hautes Études du Goût - Advanced Studies in Taste, Gastronomy and The Arts of The Table.
WHAT IS HEG
Hautes Études du Goût, de la Gastronomie et des Arts de la Table (in short, HEG) was established in 2004 as a partnership between Le Cordon Bleu and the University of Reims, Champagne-Ardenne. It offers a 360° perspective on gastronomy, studied through multiple aspects: historical, scientific, cultural, economic, and sociological. The program is not only highly complex but also exclusive: it selects a maximum of 25 participants from around the world each year. I was among the 2017 cohort. As if the emotions weren't already immense, I would later find out that until then, HEG had participants from 40 countries, but I was the first person from Romania. 🙂
The courses, designed as a crescendo, were structured in two phases: the first in Paris at the new Le Cordon Bleu campus and a day at the Sorbonne, and the second in Reims, Champagne. Throughout the program, the watchword was "intense"—a sentiment I felt profoundly with each passing day. One of the features that makes HEG a unique and special program is that participants do not only receive a series of lectures from teachers to students. The 360° vision of gastronomy is enriched by workshops, working visits, and exceptional educational meals, aimed at complementing and rounding out the entire experience. It was, therefore, a true boot camp where I breathed, thought, felt, and lived gastronomy from start to finish. And although I set out expecting a very high level, I must admit that my expectations were exceeded: I felt as though I had reached the Champions League. This was both exhilarating and demanding!
THE COURSES
HEG was not a course about recipes, nor one about culinary techniques, but much more than that: it provided a holistic perspective on gastronomy, bringing together the best experts, specialists, and university professors, all with absolutely passionate discourse about their fields, displaying contagious enthusiasm and admirable openness. From courses on the history of gastronomy and restaurants in France to journalism, food criticism, culinary guides, trends and innovation in gastronomy, food writing, and the relationship between gastronomy and cultural identity, semiotics (representations and images of gastronomy), the psychology of taste in children—how tastes form when we are young and how they evolve later, food and religion, or the bread revival in France—all the courses on art, history, and culture brought a wealth of ideas and information, making me feel that I couldn't have arrived at a better place.
However, while I already had a solid foundation in this area, having read extensively over the years and built a substantial dedicated library, the science courses posed a real challenge for me (being an artistic soul and a graduate in literature). They guided me into unexplored territories and opened the door to fascinating new possibilities I might not have considered before. The course on molecular gastronomy and note-by-note cuisine, where I had the honor of meeting the inventor of both disciplines, researcher Hervé This, was truly a feast. The course on "nouvelle nouvelle cuisine," brilliantly exemplified by the chefs at Le Cordon Bleu, perfectly complemented it. To better understand what we learned in the medieval gastronomy course, a medieval dinner experience was recreated just for us, complete with all the characteristics of that time: from interpretations of recipes and spices used then to customs and table manners—for one evening, we transformed from students into medieval aristocrats. The course on microbiology (the human-microbe symbiosis) and the history of fermented foods also provided new insights in detail. The course on the neurophysiology of taste, although challenging (even more so at 9 a.m.!), turned out to be one of the most enlightening courses, just like the one on the dynamics of champagne bubbles, which I loved down to the last drop (pun intended!)—both helped me to experience and perceive the forthcoming experiences in an entirely new way.
THE EXPERIENCES
And these experiences are hard to put into (few) words, even for someone whose profession revolves around spinning words. In the first week in Paris, I experienced a medieval dinner, a lunch designed as a gastronomic journey through the regions of France organized at the stunning Club des Enseignants de la Sorbonne, a fascinating night visit to Rungis, the largest wholesale market in the world, and a historical walking tour through Châtelet-Les Halles, the original site of the market, guided by a geography professor from the Sorbonne. The second week took us to Reims, the capital of the Champagne region, and it was—how else?—fascinating and full of effervescence.
I emotionally witnessed the graduation ceremony of the previous cohort, who had successfully completed all the stages: courses, exams, and their final thesis, reaching their moment of glory, celebrated, of course, with champagne. Their joy and the thought that in a year, we would be the ones stepping onto that stage, just like them, gave us exactly the energy we needed halfway through the program when fatigue was beginning to set in seriously. 🙂
One of the unique experiences that left a lasting impression on me was the educational dinner at the Krug House, renowned for producing the best champagne in the world. In the presence of Mr. Rémi Krug himself, with a menu crafted by Arnaud Lallement, the famous chef of the restaurant L’Assiette Champenoise (3 Michelin stars), the Krug experience was the perfect blend of artistic expression, savoir-faire, and savoir-vivre, and it remains one of my fondest memories from HEG.
While the pedagogical dinner at Krug focused on the pairing of food with different types of champagne, the lunch at G.H. Mumm centered on pairing various dishes with the same type of champagne, served at different temperatures in different glasses. This followed a tasting workshop that highlighted the complexity of the champagne production process, from vins clairs and liqueur de dosage to cuvée—another enlightening experience that I hold dear and from which I learned so much. The series of educational meals continued with dinner at Domaine Les Crayères, a splendid and iconic place in Reims, Champagne. The enchanting dinner at the restaurant here, which boasts 2 Michelin stars, focused on the pairing of wine and food, under the guidance of the renowned French oenologist and philosopher of taste, Jacques Puisais.
WHAT FOLLOWED AND WHAT LIES AHEAD
An exam covering all that was learned and experienced—not easy, but successfully completed. A sleep on the plane ride back, as by the end of the courses, we were all exhausted. A time for reflection to “process” all the information, experiences, and encounters. Just a brief pause to make way for the continuation of this adventure: developing a research paper, a thesis, for which I have a few months—seems like a lot, but it passes quickly!—until May. The topic I chose is quite generous, so it will require some effort—fortunately, I’ve already started exploring it, and as I progress, the discoveries and connections I make fuel my enthusiasm and passion. I have already reunited with some of my colleagues from the wonderful HEG experience, in Bucharest or Paris on other occasions. And with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, we will have the chance to meet again this coming fall in Champagne for the graduation ceremony and to receive the Diplôme Universitaire du Goût, de la Gastronomie et des Arts de la Table.
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