Le Cordon Bleu facts for kids
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| Type | Cooking school |
|---|---|
| Established | 1895 |
| Location |
Worldwide
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Le Cordon Bleu (pronounced "Luh Kor-dohn Bloo") is a famous group of cooking and hospitality schools around the world. It teaches students how to make amazing French food, often called haute cuisine (which means "high cooking"). The school also focuses on learning about managing hotels and restaurants, and the art of food itself.
Le Cordon Bleu has 35 schools in 20 different countries. More than 20,000 students from all over the world come here to learn.
Contents
History of Le Cordon Bleu
The name "Le Cordon Bleu" comes from a very old French tradition. It is linked to a special group of French nobles called the Order of the Holy Spirit. This group was created in 1578. Being a member was a huge honor in France for many centuries.
Each member of this group wore a special cross on a blue silk ribbon. Because of this blue ribbon, the group became known for their amazing and fancy parties. These parties were so grand that people started calling them "cordons bleus."
After the French Revolution, the old royal traditions ended. But the name "cordon bleu" stuck around. It became a way to describe excellent French cooking. By the 1800s, a "blue ribbon" meant something was the very best.
A French cooking magazine, La Cuisinière Cordon Bleu, used this famous name. It was started by Marthe Distel in the late 1800s. The magazine soon began offering cooking classes taught by France's top chefs.
This magazine and its classes grew into the first Le Cordon Bleu school. Marthe Distel and Henri-Paul Pellaprat officially opened it in 1895 in Paris, France. After Marthe Distel passed away, the school struggled for a while.
In 1945, after WWII, a woman named Madame Elisabeth Brassart bought the school. She ran it until 1984, when she was 87 years old. She then sold it to André J. Cointreau. His family was famous for making Cointreau liqueur and Rémy Martin Cognac.
Le Cordon Bleu Around the World
Le Cordon Bleu schools are not just in France. They have spread to many other countries.
In 1933, a former student named Dione Lucas helped open a Le Cordon Bleu school in London, England.
For a while, there were 16 schools in the United States. They used the "Le Cordon Bleu North America" name. However, these schools closed by September 2017. This happened because the company running them decided to stop. They made sure all students could finish their programs before the schools closed.
Le Cordon Bleu still helps students in the United States. Its New York office helps students find schools in other countries.
Cities with Le Cordon Bleu Schools
Here are some of the cities where you can find Le Cordon Bleu schools today:
- Schools in Europe
- Schools in the Americas
- Brazil
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Lima, Peru
- Schools in Oceania
- Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Schools in Asia
- Shanghai, China
- Beirut, Lebanon
- Gurgaon, India
- Tokyo, Japan
- Seoul, Korea
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Manila, Philippines
Le Cordon Bleu in Books and Movies
Le Cordon Bleu has appeared in many popular books and films.
The school was a big part of the 2009 American movie Julie & Julia. This film was partly based on Julia Child's book My Life in France. Julia Child was a famous American chef who studied at Le Cordon Bleu.
Other movie characters have also attended or graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. For example, Audrey Hepburn's character in the 1954 film Sabrina went there. Also, characters in the Taiwanese TV show The Perfect Match and the Bengali film Maacher Jhol were graduates. Even Nick Nack, a character in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun, was said to have attended.
Students of the school have also written books about their experiences. American writer Kathleen Flinn wrote The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry in 2007. This book tells about what it's really like to study at the main school in Paris today. It shares the daily challenges and also more of the school's history. Her book became very popular and was translated into many languages.
Famous Alumni
Many famous chefs and food personalities have studied at Le Cordon Bleu.
- Some famous alumni from the Paris school include Julia Child, Giada De Laurentiis, and Dame Mary Berry.
- From the Los Angeles school, notable alumni include David Burtka and Kelis.
- Charity Morgan studied at the Pasadena location.
- Princess Marie-Astrid of Liechtenstein is an alumna of the London school.
See also
In Spanish: Le Cordon Bleu para niños
- Cooking schools
- French cuisine
