Presentation
NEXT EDITION: SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
Master ancestral techniques to enrich your contemporary culinary practice
The Online Modular Course in Contemporary Applications of Curing, Smoking, Marinating & Nixtamalization will enable you to integrate traditional methods such as smoking, curing, nixtamalization, and marinating into your professional culinary repertoire—with a perspective adapted to modern kitchens.
You’ll explore the origins, evolution, and current uses of each technique, gaining the skills to enhance flavor, improve texture, and optimize processes with precision and creativity.
Understand the key variables for each process and work with ingredients such as alkalis, salts, wood, or acidic mediums—applying this technical and cultural knowledge to your day-to-day culinary practice with depth and coherence.
Thanks to a hands-on methodology, you’ll combine live sessions, video-based exercises, and guided feedback to apply what you learn in real contexts—whether in restaurants, personal projects, or artisanal production.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
- Modular Course
- Online
- Start Date: September 23, 2025
- Duration: 40 hours
- Limited spots available
- Academic Period: September 23 to October 20, 2025
- Live Classes: Thursdays from 16:00 to 17:30 (CEST)
- For questions and more information: [Information Request Form]
COURSE OBJECTIVES
- Apply traditional techniques such as curing, smoking, marinating, and nixtamalization in culinary preparations, adapting them to contemporary gastronomy.
- Understand the chemical and operational principles behind each method, evaluating critical factors like ingredient type, cooking medium, pH, and materials used.
- Design culinary processes with distinctive identity, enhancing flavor, texture, and differentiation in professional kitchens or personal projects.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This Course is aimed at gastronomy professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of traditional techniques and apply them with a modern, technically sound, and creative approach.
Especially recommended for:
- Chefs, cooks, and station leaders seeking to incorporate smoking, curing, or nixtamalization into fine dining, modern kitchens, or artisanal production.
- R&D professionals, kitchen labs, and food artisans looking to enrich their culinary outcomes through traditional transformation processes and deep flavor development.
- Culinary entrepreneurs and enthusiasts with prior knowledge who want to expand their technical skillset and create unique value through time-honored methods.
CONTENTS
| Category | Contents |
|---|---|
| Introduction to the Techniques | Clarifying concepts: smoking, curing, marinating, nixtamalization. Origins, history, and evolution. Key variables, challenges, and limitations. |
| Smoking | Temperature, combustion materials, and equipment. Products suitable for smoking. Smoking in modern cuisine: classifications, uses, and techniques. Hot smoking and Cold smoking. |
| Curing | Types of curing and usage. Dry curing and Wet brining. Modern approaches to curing: classifications, characteristics, and methods. |
| Marinating | Types and applications of marinades. Alcohol-based, enzyme-based, spice-based, acidic, and alkaline marinades. |
| Nixtamalization | Alkalis and selection criteria. Nixtamalization with pectin-based and starch-based ingredients. Calcium hydroxide, Sodium hydroxide, and Sodium citrate. |
CALENDAR
- Introduction to the learning platform: September 23, 2025
- Approximate weekly study load: 10 hours
- Virtual Classroom Closing Date: January 20, 2026
- Academic Period: from September 23 to October 20, 2025
- Live Classes: Thursdays from 16:00 to 17:30 (CEST)
- All sessions will be recorded and accessible 24/7 via the online platform.
- Live Classes: Thursdays from 16:00 to 17:30 (CEST)
METHODOLOGY
The Online Modular Course is taught through an active, hands-on methodology focused on individual practice and direct application in professional kitchens. Using a learning-by-doing approach, you will build technical competencies, applying what you learn through practical tasks and guided support.
How the Course Works:
- Live Sessions: Weekly classes led by Basque Culinary Center instructors. Dive into technical foundations and real-world applications with interactive Q&A.
- Access to Digital Resources: Explore theoretical content, recipes, step-by-step videos, and technical sheets to apply each technique in your kitchen.
- Step-by-Step Video Tutorials: Carry out documented elaborations using smoking, curing, marinating, or nixtamalization techniques and receive expert feedback.
- Personalized Feedback: A dedicated tutor will guide you throughout the course, answering questions and reviewing your progress at each stage.
FACULTY
The Online Modular Course in Contemporary Applications of Curing, Smoking, Marinating & Nixtamalization is led by a teaching team specialized in traditional culinary techniques and their adaptation to modern gastronomy, with pedagogical and industry backgrounds.
Your Support Team:
- Basque Culinary Center Teaching Staff: Professors specialized in culinary processes, preservation, and advanced techniques. They lead the live classes and have developed the course’s technical content.
- Course Tutor: Your main point of contact throughout the course. They’ll answer questions, assess your work, and provide personalized feedback.
ENROLMENT AND PAYMENT METHODS
Total price: €480
The fee includes:
- Access to the online learning platform
- Onboarding session to familiarize yourself with the platform
- Downloadable content: recipes, theoretical material, technical sheets
- Step-by-step video tutorials for each preparation
- Practical assignments and video-based exercises to complete from your kitchen
- Progress evaluations and personalized support from your tutor
- Certificate issued by Basque Culinary Center
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