Back in BCE, chefs were forced to hide from the invaders of the Byzantine. In order to remain safe, they had to blend in with the monks at the monasteries. The towering hats were the best way for them to do so.
Why do chefs wear those tall hats? Once the need for hiding was over, the chefs continued to wear hats as a means of signifying their bond with one another. By the time the s rolled around, the hats started to take on a different sort of significance.
They were utilized in the kitchen because the color white was believed to symbolize the proper level of cleanliness. To dig into the origins of this culinary mythology, it helps to know where chef toques came from. While history is slightly fuzzy on their definitive origin, one tale involves Greek chefs fleeing from Byzantine invaders around BCE and taking refuge in monasteries, where the tall stovepipe-style hats of the monks helped them blend in. After the need for a disguise was gone, the chefs continued wearing the hats as a fraternal kind of attire.
The first person to turn to in any quest regarding esoteric French cooking wisdom is Auguste Escoffier, arguably the most famous figure in the history of French cuisine. While Escoffier didn't popularize the toque as culinary headgear that was the work of "chef of kings and king of chefs" Marie-Antoine Careme back in the 19th century , Escoffier was instrumental in elevating the status of chefs, in part by professionalizing their uniforms. Unfortunately, Escoffier's Guide Culinaire , the bible of French cooking throughout most of the 20th century, contains no mention of the relationship between toques and egg cookery.
It does, however, contain egg recipes. Next, Larousse Gastronomique , the great encyclopedia of French cuisine. But here, too, we struck out. The 1,page reference text contains no information on chef uniforms. It does, of course, have a generous entry about eggs, including 49 recipes ranging from poached eggs in aspic to scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Another name that comes immediately to mind where eggs are concerned: Jacques Pepin, who has educated American cooks on the proper ways to scramble, poach, and fry since the s.
But did you know that the type of hat a chef wears can tell you a lot about them? Throughout history, chef hats have indicated factors such as rank in the kitchen and their level of expertise. According to one origin story, King Henry VIII supposedly beheaded a chef after finding a hair in his meal, so the next chef, and all the chefs after him, were ordered to wear a hat while cooking.
When the Byzantine Empire invaded Greece, Greek chefs fled to nearby monasteries for protection and adopted the garb of the monks to fit in, which included a large stovepipe hat.
Even after the Byzantines retreated, Greek chefs continued to wear the hats as a form of rebellion and a sign of solidarity. White is the easiest color for determining whether an object is dirty or clean, rather than dark colors which can mask stains.
Today, some kitchens choose to wear dark colored hats, especially in an open kitchen, for that very same reason.
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