Cooking as professional opportunity

Ranjan K Baruah *

Cooking competition at Yaoshang Sports Festival at Bamon Leikai on 19th March 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Many of us are fond of cooking, we love to cook and also taste different cuisines. We cook food ourselves or sometime go out and eat outside in restaurants. Cooking is integral part in our life but when we look it as career, there are many option related to it. If one is interested in cooking and knows how to cook well then one career option can be of Chef.

The word 'chef' has its origin from the French phrase chef de cuisine, which means the chief or head of a kitchen. A chef, in the contemporary sense of the term, is an artist who is equipped with specialized training to master the craft of cookery.

The primary job of a chef is to cook food. Apart from cooking presentation of the meals and varieties are also important. As there are many cuisines around the world and around the country, so to become a successful chef one needs information. The chef has to be up to date with the managerial and administrative aspects of running the kitchen.

Though there is no formal education needed to become cook but proper training and education helps one to be successful. There are many cooks who have been successful with their hard work. But as the hospitality industry is spreading so it is always advisable go take training and courses for become successful as Chef.

Renowned restaurants prefer recruiting staff with formal training in fundamentals of cooking. It is always advisable to take training from the institutes which are affiliated to or supported by National Council of Hotel Management and Catering Technology. Minimum qualification needed to join hotel management courses with specialization as chef is 10+2. There are some short term courses supported by some union ministries.

Some of the courses are as follows:
Professional Cookery,
Bachelor of Hotel Management and Catering Technology (BHMCT),
Bachelor of Catering Technology and Culinary Arts,
B.Sc. Hotel Management and Catering Technology,
Advance Diploma in Culinary Arts and Patisserie Studies,
Advance Diploma in Food and Beverage Management and Catering Operations,
B.Sc. Hotel Operations and Catering Services,
Certificate Course in Bakery and Confectionery,
Certificate Course in Cookery,
Certificate Course in Food and Beverages,
Certificate Course in Food Production,
Certificate Course in Food Production and Patisserie,
Certificate Course in Hotel Catering Management,
Certificate Course in Restaurant and Counter Service,
Certificate Course in Restaurant Operations,
Course in Bakery and Confectionery ,
Course in Food Production ,
Diploma in Bakery and Confectionery (DBC),
Diploma in Cookery,
Diploma in Culinary Arts and Patisserie,
Diploma in Food and Beverage Service,
Diploma in Food Production (DFP), etc.

There are similar courses offered by different institutes in the country and abroad.

Scopes of chefs will increase in the north eastern region as new hotel and restaurants are increasing. The habit of eating out has increased in the region which brings more demands for the chef. Apart from different cuisines, chef from the region may promote the ethnic food of the region to other parts of the world which shall increase entrepreneur activities in the region.

Updates:

SBI Youth for India Fellowships: SBI Youth for India is a fellowship program for outstanding young professionals and graduates, who are passionate about touching lives and seek to lead the change for a better India. The fellowship is initiated, funded and managed by the State Bank of India (SBI) in partnership with reputed NGOs SBI Youth India fellowship programme is meant for highly motivated, outstanding young professionals and fresh graduates between the ages of 21-32.Last date for submission of online application is 10th June and by 13th June, shortlisted candidates for personal interview will be intimated.

Sports Scholarships: Indian Oil is inviting applications for sports scholarships from eligible sportspersons. The objective of this scheme is to award Indian Oil Sports Scholarships to promising young players with a view to encourage talent and create a pool of sportspersons from whom to select sport appointees to the Corporation. The scholarship will be given in two categories i.e., 'Elite Scholar' and 'Scholar' to budding youngsters in sports arena. Young sports person aged in between 14 to 19 may apply for the scholarships. The last date for receipt of applications will be 15th June, 2015 and no applications will be entertained after the due date.