Did you know that a whopping 95% of all wild salmon is harvested in Alaska? From black cod to king crab to sockeye salmon, here’s a primer on Alaska’s sustainable finfish and shellfish for the classroom.

Courtesy of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute

Since admittance into the Union as the 49th state in 1959, Alaska has served as a model of fisheries management around the globe. One reason for this is that Alaska remains the lone state in the nation with a constitutional mandate stipulating all fish “be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle.” Effective, precise management ensures Alaska’s fisheries are productive, sustainable, clean and healthy—as mandated by the Alaska state government.

Wild-caught Alaska salmon, whitefish varieties and shellfish mature at a natural pace, and swim freely in the pristine waters off Alaska's rugged 34,000-mile coastline. Alaska harvests more than 56% of all seafood caught in the United States, and if it were a country, Alaska would rank ninth in the world for seafood production. Alaska pollock is the largest food fishery in the world, and 95% of all wild salmon is harvested in Alaska.

Recognized for its elegance and flavor, lamb is a favorite protein of chefs across the globe.  While most chefs think of rack of lamb, today’s economy as well as a desire to utilize the whole carcass challenges chefs to look at some of the lesser-known and economical cuts.

By Christopher Heath Stone, CEC, MEd

The shoulder is one of the most affordable cuts of lamb. A square-cut bone-in shoulder can be barbecued, braised or slow roasted. It can also be broken down in a variety of ways to create shoulder arm and blade chops, shoulder ribs or various BRT roasts. Lamb-shoulder meat is also commonly used to create kabob and stew meat, as well as grind.

An e-learning module focusing on one of the most important and cutting-edge culinary regions on the globe.

An e-learning module focusing on the versatility, nutrition and palate-pleasing power of California table grapes.

Courtesy of CIAprochef.com

With its mild, Mediterranean-type climate, California is paradise for grapes. Everyone knows that the Golden State grows world-class wine grapes, but table grapes excel there, too. In fact, California produces almost all of the United States’ commercially grown table grapes.

Chefs know they can count on grapes to add refreshment to a cheese plate, color to a fruit plate or a wholesome crunch to a salad. But if you think of grapes only as a garnish, you’re missing a lot of the fruit’s culinary potential. In the hands of professional culinarians with an innovative bent, fresh grapes can go in directions you may never have imagined. Carbonate a grape? Why not?

An e-learning module focusing on the importance of soy sauce as a flavor-enhancer not limited to Asian-style dishes.

Courtesy of CIAprochef.com

These days, big flavor is big news. From Asian to Latin to Mediterranean cuisine, Americans crave intense, authentic flavors. And chefs are looking for new ways—and rediscovering old ways—to enhance flavors and bring depth to their dishes by adding umami, the “fifth taste.”

Naturally brewed Kikkoman Soy Sauce—one of the most umami-enriched ingredients—is a pantry staple and a fixture on Asian tables, and a condiment most of us know as well as salt and pepper. In fact, it’s so familiar today that it hardly seems foreign.

But how much do your students really know about this ancient Asian sauce?