Chef

The term "chef" refers to a trained professional cook and artisan who is knowledgeable in all elements of food preparation, with a special emphasis on a certain kind of cuisine. The term "chef" is derived from the phrase "chef de cuisine," which refers to the director or leader of a culinary establishment. Chefs may obtain official training at an institution as well as hands-on experience by working under the supervision of an experienced chef.

There are a variety of phrases that have the word chef in their names, each of which deals with a particular aspect of food preparation. Some examples of these positions are the sous-chef, who serves as the kitchen's second in command in a kitchen, and the chef de partie, who is responsible for a particular area of production. The kitchen brigade system is a hierarchical structure prevalent in restaurants and hotels that employ a large number of employees, many of whom include the term "chef" in their titles. The kitchen helpers work just underneath the chefs in the kitchen. A chef's typical costume consists of a hat (known as a toque), a neckerchief, a double-breasted jacket, an apron, and a pair of well-made shoes (that may include steel or plastic toe-caps).

Originally, the name "chef" was taken (and abbreviated) from the phrase "chef de cuisine," which meant "chef in charge of the kitchen." (The French term for "chief" originates from the Latin caput (head), which is cognate with the English word "chief." The term "chef" refers to a person who works in the culinary industry and was first used in the 19th century in haute cuisine. Among other areas of the French language, the culinary arts were responsible for the introduction of French loan-words into the English language.