Cook (profession) facts for kids
A cook is a skilled person who makes food for people to eat, especially in places like restaurants. Sometimes, people call a cook a chef, but in the world of cooking, these words mean slightly different things. Cooks have many jobs. They prepare food, manage their cooking areas, clean the kitchen, and help the main chefs. Restaurants often give cooks special titles based on what they cook. For example, there are broiler cooks, fry cooks, pantry cooks, and sauce cooks.
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The History of Cooks
Cooking is a very old job! Back in 776 BC, a man named Coroebus of Elis won a sprint race at the Ancient Olympic Games. Guess what? He was also a cook!
In the Middle Ages (around the 9th to 15th centuries) in northern France, being a cook was a well-known job. Cooks were seen as skilled craftspeople. A famous cook named Taillevent wrote in his recipe book, Le Viandier, that he trained for many years. He started as an apprentice, then became a journeyman, and finally a master cook. Master cooks, called queu, learned cooking secrets passed down through generations.
Later, a famous French chef named Georges Auguste Escoffier (1846–1935) described the "cook" in a kitchen team as the Cuisinier. These cooks helped the head chefs and prepared specific dishes.
Cooks in Ancient China
During the Ming dynasty in China (1368–1644), most cooks worked for rich people. They cooked for merchants, officials, and landowners. New foods like maize (corn), potatoes, and chili peppers arrived in China during this time. This made cooking more exciting and new, tasty foods became available to more people. Cooks even had recipe books and guides to help them.
Where Cooks Worked in Ming China
Cooks in Ming China worked in different places. Some worked in inns or restaurants. Others were street vendors, selling food from carts. However, most professional cooks worked for the very rich.
The royal court was a huge employer of cooks. In the 15th century, over 9,000 cooks worked for the court! They had to prepare meals and even wine for about 10,000 to 15,000 people every day. The court also hired about 1,800 cooks just to prepare food for special rituals and offerings.
Rich merchants and landowners also hired cooks. These cooks often made very fancy and difficult dishes, like baked goods and sugar animals. Because cooks mostly worked for the wealthy, their job was sometimes linked to the greed of the rich.
The Status of Cooks in Ming China
Even though cooks worked for the rich, their job wasn't always highly respected. This was because cooking often involved killing animals for food. Some religious beliefs, like Taoism and Buddhism, taught that killing living things created bad karma. So, being a cook was sometimes seen as a job to avoid.
Despite these negative views, being a cook required great skill. It was an art form that needed careful practice and talent. This earned cooks and similar professions respect among their fellow workers.
Recipe Books for Cooks
Cooks in Ming China could learn their skills from many recipe books and guides. These books often focused on how food could improve health and help people "nourish life" (yangsheng). One example is the Old Glutton's Collection (Laotao ji), written by Zhang Dai. This book not only gave recipes but also talked about how food affects health and how it related to different social classes.
Cook Salaries and Job Outlook
The number of jobs for cooks is expected to grow. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 6 percent increase in cook jobs between 2016 and 2026. In 2016, there were about 2,403,000 cook jobs. This growth is a bit slower than for other food jobs like bakers or chefs.
In the United States, cooks earn about $22,850 per year, which is about $10.99 an hour. In Canada, the average income for cooks was about C$33,400 a year as of October 2017. In Australia, cooks earned about AU$20.48 for every hour of work in 2018.
How to Become a Cook
You don't always need a specific degree to become a cook. Many learn on the job!
Training in the United States
Some schools offer special cooking programs. These are called vocational cooking schools. In these programs, you learn important things like food safety, how to keep things clean, and advanced cooking techniques. These programs can last from less than two years to four years.
Many cooks also learn through apprenticeships. This is like on-the-job training, where you work with experienced cooks and learn from them. Apprenticeships often last about one year and combine real work experience with technical lessons.
To join these programs, you usually need to be at least 17 years old and have a high school diploma. If cooks want to move up to higher positions, they might get a special cooking certificate. This shows they have at least two years of experience and good kitchen skills.
Training in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, having good grades in English and Math (GCSEs) can be helpful if you want to be a cook. But it's even better if you get experience through an apprenticeship or study at a cooking school.
Many colleges across Wales, England, and Northern Ireland offer training programs. You can earn certificates or diplomas like the "Diploma in Introduction to Professional Cookery" or the "Certificate in General Cookery."
Health and Safety for Cooks
Working in a kitchen can have some health concerns. Cooks who handle raw meat might get food-borne illnesses if they are not careful. Cooks also use cleaning chemicals like bleach, so they need to be careful not to breathe them in or touch them.
There's also a risk of getting hurt from sharp knives or hot surfaces. Wet and slippery floors can cause falls. Cooking in busy kitchens can also be physically and mentally tiring. Cooks often make fast, repeated movements in hot, loud, and sometimes dangerous places. They might also work unusual hours, like "clopens," which means closing the kitchen one night and opening it the next morning.
Regional Cooking Styles
Cooking styles and traditions can be very different around the world!
Middle Eastern Cooking
In the Middle East, most professional cooks are men. Because of religious rules, cooks usually don't use pork. Instead, lamb and chicken are common meats. These are often served with bread or rice. Many people in the Middle East are lactose intolerant, so dairy products are not used much in meals.
Cattle are often used for work, so beef is not as common for food. When it is used, it's often served in chunks, either dried, raw, or cooked. On the other hand, eggplants are very popular and easy to find. Middle Eastern cooks use eggplants in over 40 different dishes!
Mexican Cooking
Mexican cooks put a lot of passion into their dishes. They believe their food shows their "heritage" and "soul." The more passion they have, the more flavorful their food becomes! Cooks often buy their ingredients from busy street markets.
Corn tortillas are a key part of Mexican food. They are either made by hand, which takes a lot of time, or bought from special shops called tortillerias. Mexican cooking has also been influenced by French traditions. For example, Crêpes, called crepas in Mexico, were brought by French visitors and are now used in many Mexican dishes.
See also
- Chef
- Chief cook
- Cook (domestic worker)
- Cooking
- List of cooking techniques
- Personal chef
