DMPS Kitchen Tests New Asian Cuisine

Executive Chef Chad Taylor recieves feedback from a group of Burmese students at Meredith Middle School.

The road from recipe to school lunch tray is not a short one.  DMPS Executive Chef Chad Taylor with the Central Nutrition Center says the process involves sampling, safety testing, more sampling, focus groups, tweaking and more sampling.

“We introduced a couple of new Asian-inspired dishes in the fall and they were a big hit,” Taylor said.

This week Taylor was at Meredith Middle School testing out his latest idea on a group of Burmese students who volunteered to help. On the menu, Chef Taylor’s fish or chicken with a Thai sauce over noodles, and spicy pork in a yellow curry sauce over rice.

“The students really appreciated that fact that we were trying to accommodate their flavor profiles,” Taylor said.  Their reaction?

“The students noted that even more spice could be added to the dishes,” Taylor said with a smile.

Taylor said he didn’t know if these dishes would ever be served district wide.  Only time, and testing, will tell.