what is a chefs hat called

The traditional tall, white, pleated chefs hat is officially referred to as a toque, which is the Arabic word for hat. The toque became known as the Toque Blanche, literally white hat, in 1800s France. The pleats in the hat are not just there to make them look stylish, although that is an element. In the 1800s in France, each pleat was said to represent a recipe mastered by the chef, so the more pleats, the more skilled the chef. The height of the chef hat is also symbolic. In France in the late 19th century, a famed chef, Antonin Careme, wore a hat that was 45cm tall, supported with cardboard to keep it upright, to denote his status as head chef. The height denoted not only seniority but expertise. Nowadays, chefs have been leaning away from the traditional toque and more towards more functional forms of headwear. Youre more likely to see a chef wearing a skull cap, a baseball cap, a simple hair net, or even a bandana—anything to keep their hair out of their face and out of the food.