What is a Chef Hat?
A chef hat, also sometimes referred to as a toque-blanche, is part of a chef’s uniform. The brimless chef hat covers the entire head of hair to eliminate any stray hair from falling into the dishes being prepared. Traditionally, a chef hat is quite tall, from 9 to 12″ (228-305mm), which has vertical pleats that run around the body of the hat. Made of either stiffly starched fabric, mostly cotton and cotton blends, or of paper, the chef hat can come in either white or black. Several versions of the origin of the chef hat prevail. One story goes that the chef for King Henry VIII was going bald and was beheaded after the king found a hair in his soup. Henceforth, all royals chefs were required to wear a chef hat.
