When you get specialty and gourmet food education and training, it broadens your selection for job opportunities. By putting your time and effort into developing your creative techniques, you can show a potential employer your dedication to your career. Getting and continuing education in gourmet foods keeps you in touch with changes and trends in the epicurean world.

Learn where to purchase ingredients for specialty foods and the tips and tricks involved in the food preparation. To educate yourself in these areas you might want to consider the following options:

1. Learn about gourmet foods online and discover how to make your own recipes while taking online courses.

2. Obtain specialty and gourmet food education and training with formal schooling.

3. Learn about gourmet foods while attending conferences and seminars.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Discover the joys of making gourmet foods by taking advantage of online course offerings

When you want to learn about making gourmet foods, online resources can help. See what specialty food companies and gourmet food companies offer and learn about putting ingredients together to make your own gourmet concoctions. Taking online courses lets you learn in the comfort of your own home and kitchen.

I recommend: Go to eLearners.com to find a list of courses you can take online that teach you about enhancing the food you prepare. Its easy-to-use index links you to sites where you can learn more about taking classes in areas like gourmet cooking. World Wide Learn offers a detailed description on various courses and classes that you can take through online venues. It covers areas such as gourmet cooking and specialty food preparation information.

Take formal courses on gourmet and ethnic food preparation in a professional culinary setting

The specialty food business covers many areas from kitchen management to writing about food, as well as creating gourmet dishes as a chef. Attending a professional school gives you a chance to get some hands-on kitchen time with experts who can answer your questions.

I recommend: CulinarySchools.com offers a list of culinary schools around the country and provides an artircle base with information about the field. The Culinary Institute of America offers classes for students interested in becoming a chef, a food service manager or even a food writer. It boasts of its hands-on training opportunities and placement in actual restaurants.

Delve into the pleasures of working with ethnic gourmet foods by attending conferences and seminars

Seminars put on by specialty food stores, culinary schools and other food experts are great ways to learn how to make specialty food in a short period of time. Attending conferences and seminars also offers you the opportunity to network with others in the field.

I recommend: Penrose Press provides information on food conferences like The Gourmet Housewares Show, which demonstrates innovative products for gourmet cooking. You can use its directory to find out upcoming events in areas near you. ShawGuides highlights a Culinary Magic Cooking seminar at The Governor's Inn in Vermont. It is a unique vacation that includes two days of gourmet cooking classes and a session in wine pairing.

When you're in the specialty food business, you always want your shelves stocked with the very best Asian, Italian, Mexican, Indian and other ethnic foods. Make stocking easy by staking out distributors online. You'll find many distributors online that are national as well as regional sources. Once you decide on the right ethnic foods distributor, you'll likely be able to sign on to their site and easily place your specialty foods order.

You can also start a gourmet food business by shopping online. In fact, some of the sites are specifically set up to help you start your own ethnic food store. Or stock your restaurant with orders of gourmet foods from around the world. Either way, you create a unique gourmet experience by shopping around the world with a few clicks on the Internet. When choosing specialty foods, consider:

1. Choosing Indian food for the perfect ethnic food business idea;

2. Buying the very best specialty foods for your Asian gourmet food stores;

3. Or finding Italian gourmet food companies that quickly ship you rich sauces, pastas and other culinary delights.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy Indian food for the perfect ethnic food business idea

Open your own Indian specialty foods store or stock the shelves of your existing store with quality Indian foods. Buying online saves time: Just find the right distributors for Indian ethnic food and then easily place your order. Many sites allow you to create an account, sign in and place your order. Soon you'll have a selection of Indian specialty foods that are sure to become customers' favorites.

I recommend: For online Indian gourmet food companies with lists of products, go to Indian Foods Company and Indira.

Choose the very best specialty foods for your Asian gourmet food stores

Choosing Asian gourmet foods online is easy. Specialty and gourmet food online wholesale distributors feature many products, from groceries to specialty sauces to natural products from Asia. You will find all you need to stock your store shelves, or choose from products perfect for your restaurant menu. Either way, your customers will keep coming back for the unique selections found online.

I recommend: For foods from Asian specialty food companies, go to Asian Foods and China Natural Products Group.

Find Italian gourmet food companies that quickly ship you rich sauces and pastas

Rich sauces, pasta and other Italian specialty and gourmet food will spice up your retail business. Choose from a long list of products online, then easily place your order. Once these arrive, you'll discover just how popular Italian ethnic foods are.

I recommend: Buy from Italian specialty food companies at J. Viviano & Sons and Roma.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When shopping for specialty foods online, you want to ask for references or try ordering a small amount first to see how reliable the suppliers are. Also, ask about all the shipping options just in case a loyal customer needs an out-of-stock item fast.

The world of specialty and gourmet food key terms is vast. Nobody expects even an expert to know what all gourmet food lingo means; there are simply too many terms of which to keep track. Whether you're researching Asian, Mexican, Greek, Italian or some other type of specialty or gourmet food, you're sure to run across at least a few terms you don't recognize. Some words are also used incorrectly in some circles. With that in mind, see below for a few commonly confused terms and their true meanings.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Szechwan pepper

Szechwan pepper (also called anise pepper, Chinese pepper, sansho or wild pepper) is not a pepper at all. It's a small, reddish berry used in Asian cooking as a seasoning.

I recommend: To see a photograph of Szechwan pepper and learn more about the plant and its uses, see Asia Food.

Ceviche

Ceviche (sometimes spelled cebiche or seviche) is a Mexican and South American dish made from raw fish, lime juice, tomatoes, chilies, spices and sometimes other ingredients. It is generally considered an appetizer.

I recommend: What's Cooking America provides background information on ceviche and how it is made.

Gnocchi

Gnocchi, or Italian dumplings, are typically made from potato and flour, but they can also be made from polenta squash, cheese or other ingredients.

I recommend: WiseGEEK provides background information on the history of gnocchi and how it is cooked and eaten.

Melomakarona

Melomakarona (sometimes spelled melomacarona, or called finikia) is a traditional Greek Christmas cookie. It is usually made with brandy and orange juice, coated in syrup and dusted with nuts.

I recommend: For a good melomakarona recipe, visit CW Media's Food Network.

Artisanal

If a food is artisanal, it is prepared traditionally. Typically, this means it is handmade with fresh ingredients. Often, but not always, artisanal food is made on small farms or in villages.

I recommend: Serious Eats speculates about the use of the term artisanal in "Is Artisanal, Handmade Food Always Better?"

Heirloom

Heirloom is a term used to describe vegetables--in gourmet food circles--especially tomatoes. Heirloom vegetables are traditional varieties grown from non-hybrid seeds. (Hybrid seeds are those artificially manipulated by man by cross-pollinating plants.) These vegetables often less physically beautiful, but usually have superior flavor to modern hybrid varieties.

I recommend: Foodspring discusses what heirloom vegetables are and offers its opinion on some of the best heirloom varieties.