What does it mean to be a Master Chef?
Most people use the term "master chef" in a casual manner, usually to apply to anyone that's good at cooking. This isn't an accurate use of the term. Most people don’t realize that a master chef is an actual professional classification, along the lines of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). To become a master chef, you must achieve the highest level of certification possible in American culinary arts. Those who receive this classification are given the title Certified Master Chef (CMC). Fewer than 100 people in the country hold this certification. Extensive training and recognizable excellence in several culinary arts programs are required before an individual can achieve this status.
The only organization capable of awarding the CMC certification is the American Culinary Federation. The master chef program was established back in 1981, as a means of encouraging chefs to strive for excellence and to improve the image of American chefs around the world. In order to pass the certification program, you have to endure a rigorous eight day long practical exam that tests your culinary knowledge and abilities. Topics covered by the test include, Continental Cuisine, Nutritional Cuisine, Global Cuisine, Classical French, Freestyle, Buffet, Baking, Pastries, and market Basket, where the Chef must prepare a menu using 26 common and exotic ingredients, all under the watchful eyes of other Master Chefs. The Exam over the last 10 years has had a 90% fail rate. It is without question the most grueling and demanding cooking exam in the world.
There are two approved testing sites. One is the campus of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and the other is the Institute’s California campus in Napa Valley. Typically the cost for taking and preparing to take the exam is about $6,000 pass or fail. The Greenbrier Kitchens have been overseen for the last 20 years by a Chef of this Designation.
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