Why chef's hats are too tall?

Question

Usually chefs use a white "hat" like marge simpson's hair. Why? Is there any valid reason to make them in that shape??

Answer 1

Chef’s hats go back a long way, as long as the early 16th century. Although popular fables exist as to how the hat exactly came into picture, it is certainly to hold the hair back while cooking. The only thing to be considered is that even the smallest restaurant needs its cooks and chefs to put on the hats while cooking to avoid any unpleasant scenes due to a strand of hair in the food served to the customer.

Chef hats come in various shapes and sizes, depending on the chef’s number of years of experience, and so it is possible to have a hat as high as 12” for the head chef. Chef hats are made of either stiff cloth like cotton or a cotton mix or can be of the disposable kind like the paper and fiber mix hats. Also the cooks and the apprentices need to wear the hats while in the kitchen. As a matter of fact, it is one of the rules that all the cooks and chefs in the kitchen need to wear the hats to avoid losing points when the food inspector feels like making a surprise visit to the restaurant.

Chef hats come in one-size fits all head sizes that can fit any head size. These usually have the elastic or the Velcro fit and so can fit in almost anyone. Some restaurants that are a part of large chain of hotels or restaurants have their own logo on the hats so as to make them personalized. This lends a definite classy touch while making it obvious as to which hotel the chefs belong.

Chef hats come in different styles depending on the country where they are being made. A slight difference in the shape would give them a unique look. Popular chef hat models are the vertical pleats hats that are commonly used in most small restaurants in all over the world. Even the number of pleats on the hat symbolized the chef’s experience traditionally. A head chef was supposed to wear a chef hat having a hundred pleats, although it is not always true these days.

Chef hats are available in white, black, or a mix of white and black checkers. However, the most popular are the white chef hats that are most commonly used by chefs anywhere in the world.

Answer 2

Here's the story I've heard, which sounds so absurd you know it's got to be the truth. Lay scholars who took refuge in seventh-century Byzantine monasteries during persecutions adopted headgear based on that of their clerical hosts. You've seen pictures of Greek Orthodox priests with those crowned black hats with the high band, right? Well, that's what the lay scholars wore, only their version was white, so as not to confuse the faithful.

Exactly how the scholar's cap came to be the chef's cap is a little murky, but we know many of the scholars were Greeks, the Greeks were among the first gastronomes, the scholar's cap was a mark of distinction, cooks wanted a mark of distinction ... OK, it's not going to get me an award from the historian's association but it's enough to fill out the bottom of a column. The top of the cap got progressively poufier over the years as master chefs sought ways to indicate that they outranked the pot washers.

But didn't you say something about a logical reason for being? The purpose of the cap, as opposed to its origin, is the same as for the caps worn by all food workers: it keeps your hair out of the soup.

Answer 3

Chefs Caps

Answer 4

Yes it's to keep their heads cool...the hot air rises theory. The reason why other professions don't do it is because it wouldn't be safe or practical. (think of a miner in a long hard hat).

Answer 5

If you think a chef's hat is too tall, then you must be very short.

Answer 6

I guess to block out all the food smell from sticking to their hair. And also prevents hair falling into the food.

Answer 7

Old tradition. they actually were different heights indicating rank in the kitchen.

Answer 8

I think that those hats are creepy.

Answer 9

Where else can they hide their Alcohol without everyone getting it.

Answer 10

Would you rather see them wearing ski-masks?