# Those funny chef hats...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 12, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727 "2000-10-12T22:39:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Powers106](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@Powers106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers106)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727/1 "2000-10-12T22:39:31Z")

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Why do chefs wear hats shaped like Cauliflower? Okay, it’s a tradition, but what is the original reason? We were in a little restaurant in Paris recently and the chefs were wearing them - it obviously wasn’t for “show” but is it just an old-time hairnet, or is there something deeper?

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2000, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727/2 "2000-10-12T22:53:14Z")

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**Cecil Adams** on [Why do chefs wear those tall white hats?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_025.html)

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**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2000, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727/3 "2000-10-14T02:00:13Z")

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I’ve wondered about this too. I always figured it had something to do with diffusing heat away from the chef’s head in a hot kitchen. The wide band would also prevent sweat from falling in the eyes. Cecil doesn’t address this in his column, and I certainly don’t fault his research, but it seems to make sense to my Cuisinart of a mind.

In a kitchen kept in accordance to health codes, hats or hairnets are worn to keep stray hair out of food. A regular hat traps heat and make for an uncomfortably sweaty scalp upon a long night of bitching out the saute underlings. And most men aren’t going to wear a hairnet to avoid that problem. The chef’s hat is an outward mark of distinction, but perhaps it also says that the wearer has enough experience under his-or-her belt to wear some functional headgear.

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**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727/4 "2000-10-16T16:23:50Z")

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They’re called “toques” by the way.

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**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2000, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-funny-chef-hats/36727/5 "2000-10-16T16:27:28Z")

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Yeah, that’s why the King of the Beasts never made it as a professional chef.

They didn’t want to go one toque over the lion.