The stereotypical chef beloved of TV, cartoons, and elsewhere is always pictured wearing a high white hat.
A hat I can understand. But why so high?
Tell me more
×
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for
professional and amateur chefs. It's 100% free, no registration required.
|
|
|
Reaching back to my time in culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI: The style of hat originated in the Greek orthodox monastaries during the middle ages where chefs (often taking refuge with other educated members of society) would distinguish themselves from the monks by wearing a white hat (monks wearing black). The early chef hats were slightly elevated but not as tall as they eventually became. Marie Antoine Careme (commonly called "Chef of Kings and King of Chefs") is credited as the father of classical french cuisine for the development of mother sauces and standard garniture and classification of terminology used in kitchens. He's also credited with much of the organization and division of labor in kitchens still used today. To designate role and stature in the kitchen he had his cooks wear hats of various height. His being the tallest designated him as the Head or Executive Chef. Traditionally it is said that the now traditional pleats indicate the number of ways that the chef wearing the hat can prepare an egg (of course this predates the disposable paper hats we now use). 100 pleats is considered to be the "ultimate" number to be desired. However as a chef with 25 years experience in commercial kitchens, I'd be hard pressed to name 100 ways (without including eggs as an ingredient in recipes) to prepare an egg. |
|||
|
|
|
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1431/whats-the-origin-of-the-chefs-hat In summary, the old chefs in the greek orthodox used to hide among the clergy and changed the color to white in an attempt to appease the wrath of god, and Henry the VII beheaded a chef for finding hair in soup and made the next guy wear a hat. I would say that now it's mainly because of tradition. Most chefs I know wear their hair up in a bandana unless they are on a carving station. |
|||
|
|
|
I have been told by a chef that the height of the hat is to dissipate heat from the head. |
|||||||||
|
|
It's for deception. Back in the old days with knights, when they swung with swords they would aim for the head. If a chef is cooking with one of those tall hats on, then when a knight swings at him more often than not it will just knock his hat off giving the chef time to escape. |
|||
|
|
