Chef Frédéric Courbon (Culinary Professor at St-Chamond Cooking School), Chef Jérôme Baron Pelossier (President of L’Association des Cuisiniers de la Loire) , and Mathias Viricel, Student winner of the Cuisiniers de la Loire’s culinary competition, who visited DMACC with the chefs and wives. Photo by Malkijah Rashad.
2026 marks the 41st anniversary of the French Chef Exchange at the Iowa Culinary Institute (ICI).
French Professor Maura Nelson helped create the exchange in 1986, after she had been teaching at DMACC for just two weeks.
The French Chef Exchange began when Saint Etienne was made a “sister city” of Des Moines in 1985. The Sister City Commission in Des Moines decided to invite two chefs from our sister city to visit in 1986. The Commission thought that the Culinary students at DMACC might enjoy a cooking demonstration.
After the first demonstration by the chefs, Nelson, who interpreted for them from French to English, talked to Robert Anderson, the head of the culinary program at that time. She said she told him, “What an opportunity for your students. You don’t have to look for French Chefs; we have a natural connection. I think you ought to try to do this on a regular basis. Chef Anderson replied, “But no one here speaks French,” so Nelson assured him that she would be willing to work on the exchange for him.
The program gives DMACC culinary students a chance to learn more about French cooking techniques.
Nelson said, “[Students learn] the way the French chefs execute things, like their sauces, or demonstrate techniques that American chefs don’t use.”
The visiting chefs teach the students for two weeks and give demonstrations. Nelson said that this cultural exchange is important for fixing stereotypes: “If you don’t get to know people, then you have ideas about them that may not be true.”
The Chef Exchange typically brings two or three chefs from L’Association des Cuisiners de la Loire (The Association of the Chefs of the Loire) to the ICI in January for two weeks.
Culinary students pose in Building 7. Photo by Malkijah Rashad.
Every five years, they have an anniversary, so more chefs and their spouses come to the ICI. They have anywhere between 20 and 30 chefs and their wives at DMACC.
DMACC raises money for this exchange by hosting Gourmet Dinners throughout the semester. They have people donating anywhere from $500-$25,000. When the French chefs are there, they have 3 gourmet French dinners, which raise more money. Every spring, there is a Fleur de Lys gala, which is the biggest fundraiser for the exchange, and last year they raised $200,000 in one night!
Every year in May, eight of DMACC’s top second year culinary students are selected to go to France. Nelson said the selection process starts, “When the students first come into the culinary program…the culinary faculty check to see…who’s a team player, who volunteers for things.”
There’s an application that is sent out in November; students interested in going to France fill out the application, answer questions, and then have a brief interview with the Culinary faculty. The winning students are notified in December.
Samara Tumea is one of the students selected to go to France in 2024. She noticed many differences between learning to cook in America and in France.
She said they do almost everything to create less food waste. “They also prioritize seasonality and simplicity…it is also very important for them to source their ingredients from local farms rather than big distributors,” said Tumea in an email interview.
She did notice some cultural differences after going to France. For example, they spend more time at the table for meals in order to connect with their families and friends. “There were a few times we were at dinner for 5-6 hours!” Tumea said.
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