What Does Culinary Arts Mean?
When we talk about culinary arts, what are we talking about? Many people might think of restaurants, particularly chefs cooking food for hungry customers. However, there is a lot more to culinary arts than simply cooking food.
So, What are the Culinary Arts?
Let's take the term "culinary arts" and discuss each facet of the field through this phrase. The term is defined as the practice and preparation of food. Which might make you think, again, cooking. But when you prepare food, there are other things to take into consideration besides putting something on the stovetop.
For example, what are you cooking? Do you have a menu? Where are your ingredients from? Did you have someone buy them or did you have to do that yourself? Who are you serving? Are you cooking for a wedding reception or a toddler's birthday party? How are you plating the meal? How are you serving the meal? What about dessert? And many other inquiries.
From this, you can see there are many other positions needed to make a restaurant run, besides just a chef. The culinary arts brings together all of the different positions needed to facilitate a plate of food's delivery to the table of a waiting customer.
What Kind of Jobs are Available in Culinary Arts?
There's a very good reason why the first job you thought of in the culinary industry was chef. Although the chefs traditionally don't interact with customers, celebrity chefs have bought a face to this otherwise behind-the-scenes profession. With a rise in healthy eating and demands for food that both tastes good and is good for you, many chefs are studying nutrition, alternative baking, and other methods to keep up with their clients.
Let's examine the position of chef. Although the first chef you pictured was in a restaurant, that's not the only place that would employ an educated culinarian. In fact, anywhere food is served could employ a chef. You can see chefs working for catering companies, retirement homes, universities, even the movie theatre in town with a full restaurant has a chef running the kitchens.
Some chefs become entrepreneurs and own their own eateries. Of course, this requires a great deal of education and experience in budgeting, finance, and many other areas needed to run a successful restaurant. Culinary graduates are fortunate to have a plethora of opportunities in front of them. They can do what they love and choose a setting that works for them.
How Do I Know if I'm Right for Culinary Arts?
Great chefs often have nothing in common. Nothing, except their love of food. If you find yourself relating to any of the following qualities, you might be suited to a career in the culinary arts.
- Passion for food: No chef can be successful if they don't genuinely enjoy food and preparing it for others.
- Ability to work under pressure: When you're four tables behind and a waiter sends in another order, you have to be able to keep your cool, do your job, and not let your quality slip.
- Creativity: No one wants to eat the same food every day. If you're working for a casual eatery you have to be able to create amazing dishes and charm your customer's taste buds.
- Dedication: Working in a kitchen can be stressful. Everyone has a bad night here and there, but are you the kind of person who will show up for work the next day ready to give it your best?
If you believe you would be well suited to the culinary arts, consider ECPI University's Culinary Institute of Virginia for your Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts. With an emphasis in hands-on learning and required externships, CIV is dedicated to helping students turn their love of cooking into a future. Contact a helpful admissions advisor today to take the next step.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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