Cook (profession)
A cook is a professional individual who prepares items for consumption in the food industry, especially in settings such as restaurants. A cook is sometimes referred to as a chef, although in the culinary world, the terms are not interchangeable. Cooks' responsibilities include preparing food, managing food stations, cleaning the kitchen, and helping the chefs.[1] Restaurants will give a title to the cooks according to their designated stations.[2] Examples are broiler cooks, fry cooks, pantry cooks, and sauce cooks.
Education[edit]
United States[edit]
There is not a strict set of achievements that one must accomplish before one can become a cook.[14]
There are institutions that provide culinary programs, such as vocational cooking schools. There are mandatory lessons that cover topics such as food safety, sanitation, hospitality, and advanced cooking.[15] This will last for less than two years to four years.[16]
It is also known that some cooks receive their education through culinary apprenticeships that can be sponsored by professional culinary institutes or trade unions. Apprenticeships usually have a duration of one year and provide on-the-job experience along with technical training.[11]
Based on the American Culinary Federation, the minimum requirements for entering such programs include being 17 years old and having a high school diploma or equivalent.[17] Should they seek out a promotion to higher level culinary professions, they may get a culinary certification that proves them to have at least two years of job experience and basic knowledge of kitchen skills.
United Kingdom[edit]
GCSE in English and Maths could help individuals who are interested in becoming cooks.[18] However, it is more valuable if they experienced apprenticeship or training in any culinary institution or courses.
There are certain colleges from different areas that provide training and development programs. Among these are Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. Examples of certificate or diploma available are Diploma in Introduction to Professional Cookery, Certificate in General Cookery, and Diploma in Food Production and Cooking.[19]
Health concerns[edit]
There are various health concerns that arise from working in a kitchen. Cooks who deal with uncooked meat have the chance to catch food-borne illnesses.[20] Additionally, cooks are at risk of breathing in and touching chemical products such as bleach and glass cleaner. Two other potential concerns are the risk of getting injured from the use of sharp objects, or from touching hot surfaces. Another possible health danger is that cooks could fall due to wet and slick floors.[21] Cooking in commercial settings can also be physically and mentally stressful, often requiring fast and repetitive movements in hot, humid, loud, hazardous, and chaotic environments, as well as working odd hours, split shifts, and "clopens" (when a worker performs a closing shift one day and performs an opening shift the very next day). Due to the stress, cooks often use substances such as nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs to cope.[22][23]
Regional differences[edit]
Middle East[edit]
Professional cooks in the Middle East are predominantly men.[24] Because of religious restrictions (except for a small amount of Christian-based groups), cooks typically refrain from using pork to make meals while lamb and chicken are the standard meats used. Then, the meat will be served with either bread or rice.[25] According to Jill Eversole Nolan, there is a high percentage of Middle Easterners that are lactose intolerant which is why dairy is not frequently used when eating meals. Cattle are frequently used for carrying or moving items and are to only be used for food when there is no other purpose for them. Even then, beef is not easy to use as a food source and is served in chunks, either dried, raw, or cooked.[26] On the other hand, eggplants are easy to buy off the streets and are highly used by Middle Eastern cooks with over 40 dishes prepared while just using the main ingredient.[24]
Mexico[edit]
Mexican cooks make a strong point to respect the dishes they make and that these dishes reflect their "heritage" and "soul".[27][28][29] The amount of passion they have directly ties into how well their food comes out and how flavorful it may be.[27] Cooks will often haggle and buy their ingredients from street markets while their corn tortillas are either handmade (which is considerably time-consuming) or bought from tortillerias.[28] Mexican cuisine has been influenced by French invaders and integrates both styles in their food. Crêpes, or crepas, as they are called in Mexico, were introduced to them by French invaders and are widely used for various dishes.[29]