by Allison Landa
Food is always in fashion – and that’s one reason that the culinary arts continue to stay strong as a career field. Culinary arts include cooking as well as general food preparation, and the term also refers to baking and hospitality management.
Studying culinary arts means you’ll learn the techniques and terminology of food and beverage preparation. You’ll also learn how to make food and drink in a way that not only tastes great, but looks good on the plate.
Specialty cable channels such as The Food Network and celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse and Rachel Ray have made the culinary arts more popular than ever. In fact, figures compiled by the National Restaurant Association in 2005 indicate that more than 13 million culinary arts job openings will arise during this decade.
Some of the most typical culinary professions include:
A Chef designs dishes, meals, and menus, prepare food, and supervise kitchen staff. If you’re a chef, your individual job will vary depending on where you work and your level of responsibility.
Bakers cater to the sweet tooth by producing bread, donuts, cakes, pastries, and other desserts. Bakers typically specialize in desserts, and work to make these sweet delights as beautiful as possible.
Caterers prepare and deliver meals to specific sites or events — such as a party, banquet, or special meeting — as opposed to working in a particular restaurant.
Food service managers act as managers and supervisors and need knowledge of business practices along with specific health requirements and demands of the food service industry.
Sound interesting? Here are five easy ways to start your culinary arts career.
Allison Landa is a freelance writer and editor in Berkeley, Calif. She received her master’s degree in creative writing at St. Mary’s College of California.