This is the fourth and biggest year for the annual series of culinary events. A group of Palo Alto parents, led by Rebecca Scholl-Barbier, launched the program in 2011 with five Palo Alto Schools.
This year, students from 16 Bay Area schools will participate, from Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale to San Francisco and Berkeley.
Scholl-Barbier, a native of France, was inspired by La Semaine du Gout, a week-long celebration of food and flavors that local schools have been adapting to their own curricula for more than 20 years. It also takes place in October every year.
Tasting Week is not only about enjoying food, but learning about health and nutrition, Scholl-Barbier said.
"I truly believe that educating children about the origin of food, how to prepare it, and how to appreciate flavors is one of the most successful ways to fight obesity," she said.
Chef Jean-Yves Charon of Galaxy Desserts shows Gunn High School student Merrill Peterson how to pipe chocolate moussé while giving a demonstration on French pastries and desserts on the last day of Tasting Week in 2012. Photo by Veronica Weber/Palo Alto Online.
This year, chefs from around the Bay Area are participating. They hail from different cities and disciplines, from other local chefs and Google cooks to personal chefs and caterers. Read about all of them here.
Last year, they gave workshops on everything from making salads and chia pudding to information about different kinds of sweeteners and the importance of presentation in cooking.
Parents, students (if you're reading), here's the schedule for next week's events.
For more information, go to tastingweek.com.
