Culinary History
Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Culinary History
• Understanding the past helps you to
understand the present
• By studying culinary history, chefs learn
about
– the social customs, ingenuity, values, and
religious beliefs of the time
– past culinary practices
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Culinary History
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•
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Greeks & Romans
Enjoyed eating socially
Hosted banquets
Greeks – private clubs “lesche”
Romans main meal – “cenna”
Ancient Rome
• Ancient Rome (625 BC–476 AD) followed
ancient Greece as the dominant power
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Ancient Rome
Marcus Apicius
• ___________
wrote the first complete
Western cookbook, De Re Coquinaria,
during this time
Apicius
• Marcus
_______book
describes challenging
culinary dishes with complex flavor profiles
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Ancient Rome
• The social elite enjoyed a refined cuisine,
while the largest part of the population
existed on simple ingredients prepared
simply
• The wealth of ancient Rome allowed chefs
to develop their art with a wide variety of
imported and rare products at their
disposal
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Cooking of the Middle Ages
• With the fall of Rome to invading armies in
476 AD, Europe entered the Middle Ages
• The Middle Ages lasted for at least 1,000
years
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The Religious Influence
• During this time, the Catholic Church
influenced European life and dining habits
• Catholic monasteries preserved records of
ancient cooking practices
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The Influence of Arab Culture
• With Arab culture came new ingredients,
recipes, techniques, and culinary traditions
including
–
–
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–
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almonds
eggplant
citrus fruits
distillation
addition of sugar and ground nuts to savory dishes
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Meals for Royalty
• Royalty often ate well and employed many
cooks to create lavish banquets
• Use of costly spices and complex edible
visual creations were the norm
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Cooking of the Renaissance
• During the Renaissance, the exchange of
culinary traditions between France, Spain,
and Italy increased greatly
• Popularity of French cuisine around the
world spread
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Cooking Ingredients Crisscross Continents
• When explorers discovered the New
World, new foods were discovered
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Cooking Ingredients Crisscross Continents
• Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, corn,
chocolate, beans, and vanilla traveled
from the New World to Europe
• Wheat, citrus fruit, sugar, cattle, and pigs
made the voyage from Europe to the New
World
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Cooking of the 1700s and 1800s
• Prior to the beginning of the French
Revolution, chefs worked in the homes of
the wealthy
• As many of these wealthy elite either lost
their lives or fled France, chefs lost their
jobs
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French Revolution 1789-1799
• Guilds were formed
• First Restaurant 1765
Boulanger
___________
• End of Revolution – Chefs out of
work
• Paris - 500 restaurants in 30
years
Georges – Auguste Escoffier 18471935
• Refined Grand Cuisine to Classical
Cuisine
• Categorized 5 Mother Sauces
• Invented kitchen brigade system
• Established dress code for chefs
Cooking of the 1900s
• Auguste Escoffier’s contributions to
cooking included
– redefining the organization of the
professional kitchen
– emphasis on professionalism
– simplifying the grande cuisine of Carême
– his book Le Guide Culinaire, which
systemized classic cuisine
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Cooking of the 1900s
• In the years following Escoffier, France
continued to be at the forefront of haute
(OHT) cuisine
• Ferdinand Point (1897–1955) and his
restaurant La Pyramide in southern
France popularized regional cooking
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Industrial Revolution
• Families moved to cities for work
• People needed to live close to factories
• Chemical fertilizers and pesticides
invented
• Wealthy ate aged meat, cheese and
sauces
• “Poor Man’s Food” veggies and whole
grains
Culinary Experimentation
• In the 1960s, some of the chefs who
trained at La Pyramide introduced
nouvelle cuisine
• Many of these chefs were influenced by
Asian food traditions
• In the late 1960s and early 1970s,
Americans began watching cooking
demonstrations on TV
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Culinary Experimentation
• Ethnic cuisines, such as Thai, Mexican,
Cajun, and Italian, were introduced to the
American palate in the 1980s and 1990s
• Some chefs mixed the different cuisines to
create various fusion cuisines
• Other chefs created variations of
traditional regional American cuisines
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Famous Chefs and Entrepreneurs
Louis Pasteur
• __________–
invented pasteurization
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Nicholas Appert
______________– father of “canning”
Catherine De Medici
______________(Italian)
married Henry II
(France) ◦ Introduced silverware to the
French ◦ Brought Haute Cuisine to France
◦ Brought spinach, artichoke, and ice
cream recipes
Julia Child (1912-2004)
• Revolutionized American cuisine through
her French cooking school, award-winning
cookbooks, and world-renowned
television programs.
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Other Historical Notes
• 1634 - Cole’s Inn, Boston opened
• 1800’s - California Gold Rush and
building of the railroads
• 1921 - first fast food
White Castle
chain_____________opened
• 1940’s and 1950’s - other fast food
opened
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The Kitchen Brigade
A system of organization
Created by Georges-Auguste EscoffierFrench chef
 Early 1900s
 The system delegates responsibilities
to different individuals that specialize
in certain tasks.


The Kitchen Brigade System

https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=A6
T7d2yB-2I
History of Escoffier
1. Executive Chef
2. Sous Chef
3. Saucier
4. Poissoner
5. Rotisseur
6. Grillardin
7. Garde Manger
8. Patissier
9. Tournant
10. Friturier
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Pre-test
Relief Cook
Fish
Broiled and Deep
Fried
Pastries and
Desserts
Cold Foods
Second in
Command
Sauces, Stews,
Stocks
Chef in charge
Roasted and
Braised Meats
Match the title with the position description.
The Brigade
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Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef
Chef in charge
 Aka: Executive Chef
 Aka: Chef de cuisine (shef deh kwih-ZEEN)



“Chief of the kitchen” who supervises all kitchen positions
Responsible for quality of food and safety of guests and
staff
Chef
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Sous Chef
Second in command of production and
staff supervision
 Aka: sous-chef de cuisine (Su-shef)


Assumes authority and responsibility in chef’s
absence
Sous Chef
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chefs de
Partie
Chefs de Partie
Aka: Station/Line Chefs
 Responsible for managing any station in
the kitchen where they specialize in
preparing particular dishes
 (shef deh pahr-TEE)

Chefs de Partie
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chefs de
Partie
Chef de Garde
Chef de
Garde
Aka: Night Chef (shef deh GAHRD)
 Night chef in 24-hour kitchen
 In charge after the chef leaves for the
evening
Chef de Garde
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chef de
Garde
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Communard
Aka: Staff Cook
(com-muh-NAHR)
 Prepares staff’s meals at large operations
Communard
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chef de
Garde
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Saucier
Saucier
Aka: Saute Chef
 Prepares sauces as well as warm hors
d’oeuvres and sautéed and panfried items
 (saucy-yay) or (saw-see YAY)

Sautéing is a method of cooking food, that uses
a small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan
over relatively high heat.
Saucier
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chef de
Garde
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Garde Manger
Aka: Pantry Chef
 Cold Food Station
 Responsible for preparing cold hors
d’oeuvres, salads, dressings, fruit plates
sandwiches, marinades, brines, desserts,
etc.
(gahrd mohn-ZHAY)

Garde Manger
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chef de
Garde
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Saucier
Rotisseur
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Aka: Roast Chef
 Roasts meats and poultry and prepares
accompanying pan sauces and gravy
 Roasting is a cooking method that uses
dry heat.
 (Row-tis-see-yer)

Rotisseur
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chef de
Garde
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Saucier
Entremetier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Aka: Vegetable Chef
 Prepares hot appetizers, vegetables,
starches, pasta, and egg dishes.
 (ehn-treh-meh-tee YAY)
 Head of potager and legumier

Entremetier
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Sous Chef
Chef de
Garde
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Tournant
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier





Aka: Swing Chef
Works in the kitchen where needed
(toor-NAHN)
Fills in for other staff members on their
days off
Also called the “roundsman”
Tournant
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Patissier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Aka: Pastry Chef
Head of the baking and pastry
department
 Prepares dessert items as well as other
baked items on the menu.
 (pa-tis-yay)


Patissier
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Poissonier
Poissonier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Aka: Fish Chef
 Prepares fish and seafood items.
 (pwah-sawn-YAY

Poissonier
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Poissonier
Boucher
Boucher
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Aka: Butcher
 Butchers meats, poultry, and sometimes
fish for other kitchen stations
 (boo-shay)

Boucher
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Grillardin
Entremetier
Patisseir
Aka: Grill Cook
 This person prepares grilled and broiled
menu selections.
 (gree-yar-don)

Grillardin
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Friturier
Friturier
Entremetier
Patissier
Aka: Fry Cook
 This person prepares deep-fried items.
 (free-to-ree-yay)

Friturier
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Potager
Friturier
Potager
Patissier



Aka: Soup Chef
(poh-tahj-AY)
Makes all stocks, soups, and mother
sauces
Potager
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Potager
Friturier
Legumier
Legumier
Patissier
Aka: Prep Cook
(lay-goo-mee-YAY)
• Prepares and cooks vegetables
• When tasks are combined with those of
the potager, called preparation station
Legumier
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Potager
Pastry
Cook
Friturier
Legumier
Pastry Cook



Aka: Am Pastry
Prepares sweets and pastries
Works in the bakeshop during the daytime
Pastry Cook
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Potager
Pastry
Cook
Friturier
Legumier
Baker
Tournant
Baker
Baker
• Makes breads and may also make
breakfast pastries
• Typically works during the night and
early morning hours
Baker
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Potager
Pastry
Cook
Friturier
Legumier
Baker
Decorator
Decorator
Aka: Cake Decorator
 Specialist who decorates cakes and
pastries
 Also makes chocolate carvings or sugar
sculptures
 Show pieces
Decorator
Chef
(Chef de Cuisine)
Chef de
Garde
Sous Chef
Communard
Chefs de
Partie
Tournant
Saucier
Garde
Manger
Rotisseur
Entremetier
Patissier
Poissonier
Boucher
Grillardin
Potager
Pastry
Cook
1st
Commis
Commis
Friturier
Legumier
Baker
Commis
Commis
Decorator
2nd
Commis
Commis
Aka: Junior Cook
 (koh MEE)
 An assistant
 Also works in a particular station but
reports directly to the chef de partie
 Takes care of the tools in that station
Commis
Chef not responsible for the entire meal.
 Greater efficiency
 More consistent results

WHY is this important?

The way the kitchen is organized depends
on many factors:
◦ The menu
◦ Type of Establishment
 Hotel, Institutional Kitchens, Catering, Quick
service restaurants, carry-out, etc.
◦ Size of operation
◦ Physical Facilities and Equipment Available
Organization of Modern Kitchen

The Classical Brigade System would be
replaced by grouping two jobs or more
together.
◦ One person working the grill, fryer, and broiler.

If the task is simplistic, may only require
a chef, two cooks, and two assistants.
In Reality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwTT
_NnGzf8
http://youtu.be/lmYb8JQm6Mg
 http://youtu.be/TrlFaLUfg3g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJVk4
q7RUE
View a Brigade in Action
RULES:
 Ms. Jourdan will describe a position of
someone in the brigade and the first
person to write on the board the correct
answer wins a point!

Brigade Game!
The Kitchen Brigade
Dining Room Organization
Maitre D’hotel
Chef De Salle
(Supervisor)
Chef D’etage
(Captain) Head Waiter
Chef De Rang
Front Waiter
Demi-Chef De Rang
Back Waiter
Dining Room Organization
Dining Room Manager
 At the Top of the chain of command
 Meets with owners to discuss business
issues
 Works with chef and sommelier to select
what will go on the menu

Maitre D’hotel
Head Waiter
 Responsible to oversee the service staff

Chef De Salle
Captain
 Has the most contact with the diners
 Takes guests orders, tableside prep,
answers guests questions

Chef D’etage
Front Waiter
 Sees to the service needs of the guests:

◦ Refills drinks
◦ Removes plates between courses
◦ Brings bread, chips and salsa, etc.
Chef De Rang
Back Waiter / Busperson
 Clears away dishes
 Clean up

Demi- Chef De Rang
Grab a piece of paper!
Put everything else away
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Executive Chef
Sous Chef
Saucier
Poissoner
Rotisseur
Grillardin
Garde Manger
Patissier
Tournant
Maitre D’hotel
POP QUIZ!
Cooks where needed
Fish
Grilled items
Pastries and
Desserts
e. Dining Room
Manager
f. Cold Foods
g. Second in Command
h. Sauces, Stews,
Stocks
i. Chef in charge
j. Roasted and Braised
Meats
a.
b.
c.
d.
Match the title with the position description.