The Best of the Southwest: Attending an Arizona Culinary School
Is an Arizona Culinary School for You?
Located in the heart of the American Southwest, Arizona offers some of the country's best Southwestern and Tex-Mex cuisine. Although the local cuisine is dominated by Southwestern and Mexican influences, Arizona culinary school students receive a well-rounded culinary education with exposure to international cuisines and techniques. Whether you have a passion for pastries, chiles or even fish, an Arizona culinary school will prepare you for the chef career you want.
Southwest Cuisine: A Melting Pot of Culture
A rich tapestry of Mexican, Spanish and Native American influences, Southwestern cuisine reflects Arizona's unique heritage, climate and diverse history. Warm-weather staples such as corn, chiles, beans, avocados and tomatoes figure prominently in the cooking of this dry desert region. Spanish settlers introduced heartier elements such as rice, beans, pork and beef to create what we now know as traditional Southwest cuisine.
Arizona's free-flowing mix of culture and cuisine has originated some famous hybrid dishes such as the chimichanga, the Mexican-inspired but wholly Arizonan deep fried burrito. Although fusion dishes are quite common, the state is still one of the best places in the country to sample authentic Mexican cuisine. North Mexican cuisine is distinctive for its incorporation of goat and ostrich meat, and is also famous for arrachera, or skirt steak, most popularly used in fajitas.
Looking for a Few Good Cooks
Arizona's capital city, Phoenix, is the fifth most populous city and one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. With over four million residents in the Phoenix metro area, job opportunities for chefs are expected to grow. Arizona is a popular warm-weather resort destination, and cities such as Sedona, Scottsdale and Tucson are always on the lookout for new talent from local Arizona culinary schools.
Here is a brief overview of average annual salaries for various chef positions in Arizona
| Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Corporate Chef | $80,000 |
| Chef Kitchen Manager | $48,000 |
| Food & Beverage Director | $51,000 |
| Chef de Cuisine | $45,000 |
| Casual Dining Restaurant Manager | $43,000 |
| Restaurant General Manager | $49,000 |
| Fast Food General Manager | $42,000 |
| Executive Sous Chef | $43,000 |
| Chef Manager | $43,000 |
| Sous Chef | $35,000 |
| Executive Steward | $34,000 |
| Pastry Chef | $39,000 |
Get a Global Education at an Arizona Culinary School
Located in the beautiful desert resort town of Scottsdale, the Scottsdale Culinary Institute is one of just a handful of culinary schools in North America to offer programs from the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu. Trained in the French tradition, alumni of this Scottsdale culinary school have taken positions as head chefs and restaurants managers, won awards and appeared on the Food Network.
The International Culinary School at the Art Institute, with locations in both Phoenix and Tucson, is one of the largest systems of culinary schools in the United States and Canada. With an emphasis on world cuisines, The International Culinary School at the Art Institute takes culinary students on a gastronomic global adventure while teaching them the skills and techniques needed for a successful chef career.
Get Started in an Arizona Culinary School
Browse our directory of Arizona culinary schools and get started on your dream of becoming a top chef in this fabulous southwest destination today!
Source: Salary data from Indeed.com 2010