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A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.

Etymology

The word "chef" is borrowed (and shortened) from the French term chef de cuisine (Template:IPA-fr), the director or head of a kitchen. (The French word comes from Latin caput and is cognate with English "chief".) In English, the title "chef" in the culinary profession originated in the haute cuisine of the 19th century. Today it is often used to refer to any professional cook, regardless of rank, though in most classically defined kitchens, it refers to the head chef; others, in North American parlance, are "cooks".

Titles

Below are various titles given to those working in a professional kitchen and each can be considered a title for a type of chef. Many of the titles are based on the brigade de cuisine (or brigade system) documented by Auguste Escoffier, while others have a more general meaning depending on the individual kitchen.

Chef de cuisine, executive chef and head chef

This person is in charge of all things related to the kitchen, which usually includes menu creation, management of kitchen staff, ordering and purchasing of inventory, and plating design. Chef de cuisine is the traditional French term from which the English word chef is derived. Head chef is often used to designate someone with the same duties as an executive chef, but there is usually someone in charge of them, possibly making the larger executive decisions such as direction of menu, final authority in staff management decisions, etc. This is often the case for chefs with several restaurants.

Sous-chef

The Sous-Chef de Cuisine (under-chef of the kitchen) is the second in command and direct assistant of the Chef. This person may be responsible for scheduling and substituting when the Chef is off-duty and will also fill in for or assist the Chef de Partie (line cook) when needed. This person is responsible for inventory, cleanliness of the kitchen, organization and constant training of all employees. The "Sous-Chef" is responsible for taking commands from the Chef and following through with them. The "Sous-Chef" is responsible for line checks and rotation of all product. Smaller operations may not have a sous-chef, while larger operations may have several.

Chef de partie

A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens, however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "first cook", then "second cook", and so on as needed.

Commis (Chef)

A commis is a basic chef in larger kitchens who works under a chef de partie to learn the station's responsibilities and operation. This may be a chef who has recently completed formal culinary training or is still undergoing training.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

The usual formal training period for a chef is two years in catering college. They often spend the summer in work placements. In some cases this is modified to 'day-release' courses; a chef will work full-time in a kitchen as an apprentice and then would have allocated days off to attend catering college. These courses can last between one to three years.

Uniform

The standard uniform for a chef includes a hat, necktie, double-breasted jacket, apron and shoes with steel or plastic toe-caps. A chef's hat was originally designed as a tall rippled hat called a Dodin Bouffant or more commonly a toque. The Dodin Bouffant had 101 ripples that represent the 101 ways that the chef could prepare eggs. The modern chef's hat is tall to allow for the circulation of air above the head and also provides an outlet for heat. The hat helps to prevent sweat from dripping down the face. Neckties were originally worn to allow for the mopping of sweat from the face, but as this is now against health regulations, they are largely decorative. The chef's neck tie was originally worn on the inside of the jacket to stop sweat running from face and neck down the body. The jacket is usually white to show off the chef's cleanliness and repel heat, and is double-breasted to prevent serious injuries from burns and scalds. The double breast also serves to conceal stains on the jacket as one side can be rebuttoned over the other.

An apron is worn to just below knee-length, also to assist in the prevention of burns because of spillage. If hot liquid is spilled onto it, the apron can be quickly removed to minimize burns and scalds. Shoes and clogs are hard-wearing and with a steel-top cap to prevent injury from falling objects or knives. According to some hygiene regulations, jewelry is not allowed apart from wedding bands and religious jewelry. If wound dressings are required they should be blue—an unusual colour for foodstuffs—so that they are noticeable if they fall into food. Facial hair and longer hair are often required to be netted, or trimmed, for food safety. Bandages on the hands are usually covered with rubber gloves.

See also

• American Culinary Federation
• Auguste Escoffier
• Brigade de cuisine
• Culinary art
• Development chef
• Great Chefs
• Marie-Antoine Carême
• International Association of Culinary Professionals
• List of chefs
• Personal Chef
• Tenzo
• The Culinary Institute of America
• World Association of Chefs Societies

Notes

1. McBride (2006). p. 8.
2. Sophie Brickman (September 12, 2010). "How French Laundry's chefs reach for the stars". San Francisco Chronicle.
3. McBride (2006). p. 9.
4. Sockrider, Guy D. (July 27, 2005). "History of the Chefs Uniform". Chefolio. Pflugerville, Texas: Escoffier Media. Retrieved June 29, 2009. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
5. "My First Blue Band-Aid". January 15, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.

References

• Caparoso, Randal (March 19, 2001). "Wine Miracles by the Bucket". Wine Lovers Page. Retrieved August 20, 2007. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
• Culinary Institute of America (2006). McBride, Kate (ed.). The Professional Chef (8th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-7645-5734-7.
• Piercefield, Taylor (May 22, 2008). "Modern Tastes & Wine Pairing". Wine Spectator. Retrieved August 11, 2008. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
• Davidson, Alan (September 21, 2006) . Jaine, Tom; Davidson, Jane; Saberi, Helen (eds.). The Oxford Companion to Food (2nd ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280681-9.
• "Stephanie Zonis". Sally's Place. Retrieved August 20, 2007.

External links

• Official certification levels of the American Culinary Federation
• Most Famous Chefs
• Chef training and career progression in New Zealand
• Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts Institute

• Chefs
• French loanwords
• Occupations