Erasmus+ Project Blended Culinary, Language and Innovation
The Erasmus+ project Boosting Culinary Education and Training has successfully concluded, during the last training meeting in Riga. The project focused on combining culinary training with language learning to better prepare students for the international hospitality sector.
One of the key results is a digital platform https://culinar.menu/ designed for culinary teachers and students. The platform features the Illustrated Multilingual Gastronomy Dictionary, a practical tool that explains professional culinary terms with images and translations in English, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Ukrainian languages. This helps learners understand technical vocabulary and communicate more confidently in international kitchen environments.
In addition, the project developed 25 lessons based on the CLIL approach (Content and Language Integrated Learning). These lessons combine cooking skills with language learning, allowing students to practice professional vocabulary while completing practical culinary tasks. Each lesson is supported by downloadable worksheets that teachers can easily use in the classroom or kitchen.
The project’s final training seminar demonstrated how these resources work in practice. Culinary teachers from partner countries participated in interactive activities, including technical English sessions and a visit to a local market where they practiced “Culinary English” in real-life situations such as identifying ingredients and discussing products.
The training concluded with a workshop on traditional Latvian cuisine, where participants used English while following recipes, organizing kitchen work, and discussing culinary traditions. The experience highlighted how language learning becomes more effective when integrated into practical activities.
The Boosting Culinary Education and Training project´s teaching resources remain open for all vocational schools wishing to prepare students for the hospitality Industry across EU.
The project is co-financed by Erasmus+ programme. Project No 2023-1-LV01-KA220-VET-00161266