Professional Culinary School in Italy / Europe

Italian Culinary Institute:
Master the fine art of Italian Cuisine with one of Europe's finest professional cooking schools. Situated in the beautiful seaside town of Copanello in the Southern Italian region of Calabria, Italian Culinary Institute is a quality chef training school offering top one / two-week & 3-month cooking programs taught in English and Italian. Our comprehensive Master of Italian Cuisine course is a 3-month full immersion program where students learn extensively about Italian cooking and food culture.

• Founded by Chef John Nocita, ICI presents Italy's most advanced culinary programs. Through our alumni, ICI is represented in over 40 countries by professional organizations, cooking academies, corporations and prominent culinarians who hold key positions in the foodservice and hospitality industries.

• Our graduates are the reason the Italian Culinary Institute has continued to be Italy's premier gastronomic learning center for the past 17 years.

Why Study Culinary Arts with ICI?

-  Learn from Respected Master Chefs
Master Chef John Nocita leads a faculty of more than 20 of Europe's most renowned Culinary and Pastry Masters.

-  Renowned Culinary Institute
Culinary professionals benefit by being instructed by a faculty chefs who have allowed The Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary Arts to become the center of culinary information in Italy through its' vast resources.

-  Wide Range of Culinary Program Options
Our full immersion programs cover subjects including cuisine, pastry, gelato and decoration.

Courses are designed specifically for professionals and concentrate on highly developed techniques that are continually being developed through the Institute's participation in international culinary competitions. 


Superior Accommodation Included!
All of our programs include superior accommodation in a fine hotel, all meals with wine, market visits and special dinners in the regions' finest restaurants. Our southern Italy location features the Hotel Baia dell'Est on the Ionian coastline.

Taught in English & Italian

• Foundation of Italian Cuisine: (1 week, full immersion - Culinary & Baking Program, Classic & Modern Italian Regional Cuisine, Specialty Breads, Pizza and Focaccia).

• Traditional Italian Charcuterie: (1 week full immersion - Curing Meats, Sausage Making & Artisanal Salami Classical Methods and Modern Techniques for Naturally Preserving Foods).

• Artisan Italian Cheese Making Course (1 week, full immersion - Classic and Modern Cheeses, Science & Morphology, Machines & Equipment, Creating Personal Cheeses, Merchandising).

• Pastry, Desserts and Gelato Course: Tradition & Evolution (1 week, full immersion - Combining traditional Italian cuisine & modern Italian pastry, desserts, and artisanal gelato).

• Pizza Focaccia and Specialty Breads, Artisan Baking (1 week, full immersion - Combining Traditional & Innovative Hearth Oven Pizza, Classic & Modern Focaccie & Gastronomic Bread making, Natural Yeast Technique).

• The Evolution of Italian Cuisine: (2 weeks, full immersion - Professional Culinary & Baking Program, Classic & Modern Italian Regional Cuisine, Specialty Breads, Pizza, Focaccia, Desserts, Cheesemaking & Visit to Sicily).

• Master of Italian Cuisine (3 months, full immersion)
The course presents the most thorough spectrum of Traditional & Italian Haute Cuisine in Italy. Working alongside Europe's top master chefs, pâtissiers & sommelier, the program covers every aspect of gastronomy including cooking, pastry, baking, curing, drying and conserving, gelato, cheesemaking, pairing food and wines, and more.


Location & Travel Information:
• Our programs are based in Copanello, 5 minutes from the seaside town of Soverato, Calabria (the region is situated at the tip of the Italian peninsula, just north of Sicily). Soverato is a town (and township) with a string of charming villages along white beaches.

• Cultural excursions and travel take place in the surrounding towns, villages and cities including Sicily just 90 minutes to the south.

• We are conveniently located just 45 minutes from Lamezia Terme International Airport (Airport Code: SUF) where a private motorcoach is arranged (free of charge) to take you to our hotel.

•  "Highly recommend a visit, a complete symphony of taste and visual not to be missed!"
Monica, USA

•  "I was absolutely amazed by the professionalism , the extensive detailing in the course structure, the pro activeness and the kindness of the Chefs and the staff at the ICI."
Vikas, Executive Chef, India

•  "Studying at ICI was one of the most fun and rewarding culinary experiences I have ever had in my life. I enjoyed so much but, at the same time, gained so much knowledge and skills about traditional regional Italian cuisine.
Pauline, Advisory Chef, Philippines

•  “The Intensive Gelato Course at ICI was undoubtedly the best course we took. It was also the only course that was truly independent and unbiased - ICI does not advertise using sponsored ingredients or machines. Instead, they teach you about everything on the market, and let you decide for yourself what is best for your business. We are really grateful to Chef John and the team at ICI for their continued support and we truly look forward to returning in the near future for more culinary courses!”
Rony & Davina, Gelaticians - Munich, Germany