By: Toshita Sahni
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The towering white chef's hat is like the crown of the culinary world. Here's a brief look at its history and significance:
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The iconic chef's hat is called a toque blanche (French for “white hat”). A toque can refer to any hat with no brim, or a very narrow one.
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The traditional chef's hat is known to be long, white, pleated, and cylindrical. However, many variations have developed over time.
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There are many theories about its origin. French Chef Marie-Antoine Carême is credited with introducing the tall, stiff white hat we recognise today.
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In traditional kitchens, the height of chefs' toques determined their rank in the kitchen's hierarchy. Senior chefs used to wear taller toques.
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The number of pleats was also symbolic. As per a popular legend, a toque with 100 pleats implied a chef knew 100 ways to cook an egg.
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Toques have many practical purposes: they keep hair out of food, absorb sweat, and help chefs stay cool in hot kitchens.
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Nowadays, many chefs don't often wear stiff, tall white toques in their kitchens. They may prefer beanies, skull caps, wraps or baseball caps.
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Nevertheless, the white toque still stands tall as an important culinary symbol of discipline and mastery. It's a formal symbol that never goes out of style.
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To learn more about the evolution of chef's hats
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