Chef Hat
A chef hat, which is sometimes referred as toque-blanche or toque for shorter term, is part of a chef’s uniform. Commonly, you can see them worn by chefs working in a restaurant. Toques are usually tall and round with pleats. But aside from knowing that it’s a part of the chef’s uniform to look good, or to recognize them as chef, these hats have great number of other purposes.
The primary function of the chef hat is for sanitary purposes. The toque covers the entire head of the chef to eliminate the chances of hair from falling into the food while cooking and preparing. This ensures that every food they serve is free from hair or other particles that may ruin the mood of the eaters in case they found some. The brim of the hat also absorbs the sweat of the chef to prevent it from dripping down to the chef’s face or worse, from falling into the food. But aside from that, it also keeps the hair out of the chef’s face for better visibility.
Traditionally, chef hats are also used as an indication of the chef’s expertise or position in the kitchen. It is believed that the taller the hat, the more experienced the chef is. Moreover, the number of pleats the hat contains determines the expertise of one chef. If you think that the pleats you can see in a chef’s hat is for a decoration purpose, then think again. The many folds on a toque signify the accomplishments of the chef could be.
However, with the evolution of today’s world, wearing a chef hat has also been evolved. Rather than a symbol of expertise, the toque is being used primarily for sanitary and comfort reasons. Today, you can see modern chefs wearing different styles of hats such as handkerchiefs, skull caps and baseball cups to prevent the hair from falling into the food. They also wear hats for personal style, but still, there are some restaurants that require a specific style of hat for keeping the tone of the restaurant.
These days, chef hats are made with different materials, such as cloth, plastics, paper and fabrics. Plastic and paper toques are less expensive compared to the ones made from cloth as these hats are disposable. Cloth hats can be washed and reused several times. Aside from the white color, which is the traditional color of the chef’s toque, there have been various colors available in the market today such as red, blue and checkered patterns.
A toque is known to be part of a chef’s uniform. Traditionally, chefs are just the one wearing this type of hat. But today, almost everyone can buy and use them for certain reasons. It can be as part of the costume when you have a little barbecue party in your backyard, or simply when you want to prepare some dish for a special family dinner. If you’re looking for a chef hat, you can find one available in most kitchen supply stores and online shops.
