Student Handbook

Central Board of Secondary Education

Shiksha Kendra, 2, Community Centre, Preet Vihar, Delhi-110301
Food Production, NSQF Level–1
Student Handbook, Class IX
Price : `
First Edition : May 2016, CBSE
Copies :
Paper Used: 80 Gsm CBSE Water Mark White Maplitho

“This book or part thereof may not be reproduced by

any person or agency in any manner.

Published By : The Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education,

Shiksha Kendra, 2 Community Centre, Preet Vihar,
Delhi - 110301

Design & Layout By : India Offset Press, A-1, Mayapuri Industrial Area, Phase-I,
New Delhi-110064
www.indiaoffsetpress.com

Printed By : M/s.
 Preface

S
ince the earliest stages of human evolution man has had the desire to travel.
The tourism industry is distinctly divided into two segments that of travel and
hospitality. Today guests are discerning and demand the best value which has
resulted in huge shift for hotels in trying to exceed customer expectations. Products and
services have accordingly been redesigned.

The future workforce in the hospitality shall be young and we therefore need to introduce
them to the right skills, knowledge and attitude in the formative years. Food Production is
the backbone of any large hotel which determines its popularity. The Student Handbook
on Food Production for Level-1 (Class IX) aims to create interest and motivate students in
the preparation of food and improving the standard of presentation.

The nutritional aspects, safety, hygiene and a professional attitude towards food preparation
will help students understand the role of a chef. The book deals with right storage
techniques and essential commodities required for a kitchen and its upkeep. The kitchen
hierarchy will enable a young person to identify their place in the overall organisation. The
teachers are requested to regularly check for achievement of learning objectives through
question and practical assessments. The Board acknowledges the contribution made by the
authors and I am sure it would serve the purpose of a useful resource material for students
and teachers.

 Chairman, CBSE

v
 Acknowledgements

Advisors
1. Sh. Y. S. K. Seshu Kumar, Chairman, CBSE
2. Sh. K. K. Choudhury, Controller of Examinations & Director (V.E.), CBSE

Content Developed By
1.  h. Narinder Singh Bhuie (Consultant Academics), National Council for Hotel
S
Management & Catering Technology (Ministry of Tourism, Government of India -
(Convener)
2. Ms. Shalini Sachdeva, Senior Lecturer, AIHM Chandigarh
3. Mrs. R. Parimala, Senior Lecturer, IHM Chennai
4. Sh. Saurabh Modi, Senior Lecturer, IHM Kurukshetra

Editing & Coordination

1. Dr. Biswajit Saha, Additional Director (V.E.), CBSE

vi
 Contents
Learning Outcomes viii

Unit-1
Introduction to Hospitality Industry 1

Unit-2
Career Opportunities 13

Unit-3
Introduction to Kitchen 19

Unit-4
Protective Clothing and its Maintenance 28

Unit-5
Personal Hygiene 32

Unit-6
Equipments and Kitchen Tools 36

Unit-7
Culinary History 42

Unit-8
Kitchen Commodities 45

Unit-9
Storage of Commodities 73

Unit-10
Kitchen Organization 78

vii
 Learning Outcomes
Unit-1
Introduction to Hospitality Industry
Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Hospitality
l To outline the l Explain the l Chart showing the l Power Point
important aspects meaning of major hospitality presentation of the
of the hospitality hospitality sector. providers. different sectors.
field.
l Describe the role   l Flip Charts on the
of hospitality allied fields.
  providers.
Session-2: Operations of Five Star Hotel
l To describe the l List out the various l Chart showing the l Power Point
operations of the operations of the departments of the Presentation of
five star hotel. five star hotel. hotel industry. each department.
l Explain the   l Visit to the hotel.
role of the each
  department.
Session-3: Introduction to Allied Areas of Hospitality Industry
l Explain the allied l Explain the various l Discussion of roles l Videos on allied
areas and their allied areas of played by each areas.
roles. the hospitality allied area.
industry.
  2. Describe the key   2. Role play of each
role of each field. allied area.

Unit-2
Career Opportunities
Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Career Opportunities
l To outline the l To list the job l Appreciate the l Group Discussion on
important opportunities in jobs offered by the job opportunities in
aspects of career the hotel industry. hotel industry. hotel industry.
opportunities.

viii
 Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
  l Explain the job  
offered based on
the departments of
the hotel.
Session-2: Career Opportunities in Allied Areas
l To outline the l To list the job l Analyse the l Group Discussion on
important opportunities in importance of jobs job opportunities in
aspects of career allied areas. offered based on allied areas.
opportunities in the levels of skill.
allied areas.
  l Explain the job    
offered in the allied
areas.

Unit-3
Introduction to Kitchen
Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Introduction to the Operations of a Commercial Kitchen
l Introduction to l Describe the l Chart showing l Presentation:
the operations fundamental of major sections Highlight the need
of a commercial kitchen operations. of a commercial of having sections
kitchen and l Explain the kitchen. for smooth
advantages of importance of functioning.
having sections in having sections in
kitchen. a large kitchen.
l List the various l Describe the l Listing various l Activity: Identify
sections of a sections of a sections of the kitchen sections
kitchen and their kitchen: Main kitchen. looking at picture.
major functions. kitchen, cold store, l Explaining major l Interactive session
dish wash area, functions of each explaining major
specialty kitchens, section. functions of that
butchery, cold section.
kitchen, bakery,
etc.

ix
 Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-2: Attitude and Behaviour in the Kitchen
l Identify Attitudinal l Developing correct l Explaining the l Role play
& behavioural attitude and attitude and emphasizing
traits required to behaviour towards behavioural traits correct behaviour
work in kitchen. work in kitchen. to be developed for during busy
kitchen operations. operations.
Session-3: Skills and Knowledge
l Identify skill l Differentiate l Identify the l Interactive session
and knowledge between ‘skills’ knowledge on the importance
components to and ‘knowledge’. and skill set and inter-relation
be developed l Listing the composition of skills and
for working basic skills and required to knowledge.
in commercial knowledge to become a l Group discussion
kitchen. be developed at professional chef. on the key areas
foundation level. of knowledge and
skill set required
by a professional
chef.
Session-4: Ergonomics in Kitchen
l Defining l Meaning of l Techniques to l Demonstration of
Ergonomics. ergonomics minimise strains correct postures
l Illustrate role of l Application of and sprains in of performing
Ergonomics in Ergonomics in kitchen. daily tasks such
kitchen. kitchen. as cutting, lifting
weights etc.

Unit-4
Protective Clothing and its Maintenance

Knowledge Performance Teaching and

Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Importance of Protective Clothing and its Maintenance
l Understanding l The basic l Chart out the Interactive lecture:
the importance of knowledge of importance of l Highlight the
protective clothing. protective clothing. protective clothing importance of the
l The importance of used in the hotel protective clothing.
protective clothing. industry.

x
 Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Activity:
l Visit to the nearest
star hotel’s
kitchen and ask
the students to
make a report on
protective clothing.

Session-2: Types of Protective Clothing

l Understanding the l The basic l Chart out the Interactive lecture:
types of protective knowledge of different types of l The different
clothing. types of protective clothing used in types of protective
clothing. the hotel industry. clothing.
l Explain the various
Activity:
types of clothing
l Visit to the nearest
required for
kitchen. star hotel’s kitchen
l
and ask the
Uses of different
students to make a
types of clothing.
report on types of
protective clothing.

Unit-5
Personal Hygiene

Knowledge Performance Teaching and

Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Importance of Personal Hygiene
l Understanding l The basic l Prepare a chart on Interactive lecture:
the importance of knowledge of methods used for l Highlight the
personal hygiene. personal hygiene. personal hygiene importance of
l The importance of in the hotel personal hygiene.
personal hygiene. industry.
l Explain the various
uses of personal
hygiene.

xi
 Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-2: Maintenance of Personal Hygiene
l Understanding the l The basic l Explain the Interactive lecture:
maintenance of knowledge of various methods to Highlight the
l

personal hygiene. maintaining maintain personal importance of

personal hygiene. hygiene. maintaining
personal hygiene.
Session-3: Hand Washing Techniques
l Understanding the l The idea of basic l Explain the various Interactive lecture:
different methods knowledge of methods to do the l Highlight the
of hand washing . methods of hand hand washing. different methods
washing. of hand washing
techniques.

Unit-6
Equipment and Kitchen Tools
Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Importance of Kitchen Equipments
l Understanding l The basic l Prepare a Interactive lecture:
the importance of knowledge of chart on the l Highlight the
kitchen equipment. kitchen equipment. different kitchen importance of
l The importance of equipment- small kitchen equipment
work place hygiene and large. and their types.
and maintenance
of knives.
Session-2: Care and Maintenance of Equipments
l Understanding l The knowledge l Prepare a chart Interactive lecture:
the care and of care and on the different l Highlight the care
maintenance of maintenance of methods to and maintenance of
kitchen equipment. kitchen equipment. maintain the kitchen equipment.
kitchen equipment.
Session-3: Work Place Hygiene
l Understanding the l The knowledge l Explain the Interactive lecture:
work place hygiene of work place various methods to l The different
in kitchen. hygiene. maintain the work methods of
place hygiene. maintaining the
work place hygiene.

xii
 Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-4: Knife and its Maintenance
l Understanding the l The knowledge of l Prepare a chart on Interactive lecture:
different knives kitchen knives. the different types l Highlight the
their care and of knife. importance of
maintenance. l Explain the various knives and their
methods to care types.
and maintain
knives.
Session-5: Safety Procedure for Handling Knives
l Understanding l The knowledge l Prepare a chart on Interactive lecture:
the procedures to about safe the different safety l The different
handle the knife handling of knife. procedures for methods of safety
safely. handling knives. procedure for knife
handling.

Unit-7
Culinary History
Knowledge Performance Teaching and
Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Historical Background
l To outline the l Explain the l Appraise the l Power Point
important aspects evolution of food. influence of Presentation of the
of culinary history. invasions in food evolution.
evolution.
  l Discuss the l Flip charts on
influence of evolution.
invasions.
Session-2: Development of Modern Cookery
l To outline the l Describe the l Identify the key l Interaction session
important aspects evolution of role played by on the role of chefs.
of evolution of culinary industry. chefs.
culinary industry.
  l List the role of    
chefs in its growth.

xiii
Unit-8
Kitchen Commodities

Knowledge Performance Teaching and

Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Kitchen Commodities
l Classifying l Classification l Identification l Interactive session
kitchen of various of commodities with students on
commodities as commodities used based on their various edible products
per plant / animal in kitchen based origin and type. obtained from plants
origin. on origin. and animals.
l Identification and l Classification l Identification of l Pictorial chart of
types of cereals, of various commodities with different types of
pulses, fruits, commodities plant origin and plant originated
vegetables, spices used in kitchen correctly classify commodities.
and herbs. and place them them in sub- Activity:
in correct sub- groups. l Visit to local market
groups. or identifying
actual samples of
various common
commodities
obtained from plants.

Session-2: Animal Origin

l Identification l Classification l Identification of l Pictorial chart of
and types of of various commodities with different types of
dairy products, commodities animal origin and animal originated
eggs, meats and used in kitchen correctly classify commodities.
seafood. and place them them in sub- Activity:
in correct sub- groups. l Visit to local market
groups. or identifying actual
samples of various
common commodities
obtained from
animals.

xiv
Unit-9
Storage of Commodities

Knowledge Performance Teaching and

Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Perishability of a Product
l Importance of l Narrate the need l Appreciate the l Interactive session
correct storage of of correct storage need of correct on need for correct
commodities. of commodities. storage of storage of kitchen
l Meaning of l Write the meanings commodities. commodities.
perishability. of Perishability l Analyse the l Pictures or actual
l Defining shelf life and Shelf life of a difference in samples as to
of a commodity. commodity. quality of a fresh how food can
commodity than a deteriorate with
stale one. time. Discuss how
it will affect the
food prepared
by using these
commodities.

Session-2 : Techniques of Storage

l List the qualities l Summarise the l Specify the l Interactive session
of a good storage essentials of a good requirements of a on storage of
facility. storage facility. good food store. common kitchen
l Storage of l Enumerate the l Identify the commodities.
various kitchen storage conditions conditions Activity:
commodities such required in which a l Store some
as dry ingredients, for storing commodity should common
vegetables and various kitchen be stored. ingredients at
fruits, milk, eggs, commodities. room temperature
meats & seafood, for some days.
frozen food, fats Discuss if they can
and oils, canned be kept usable for
and bottled longer duration
products. in refrigerator or
freezers.

xv
Unit-10
Hierarchy in Kitchen

Knowledge Performance Teaching and

Learning Outcome
Evaluation Evaluation Training Method
Session-1: Kitchen Organization
l Defining l Draw a flowchart l Develop an l Chart on
organizational depicting organizational hierarchical
structure. organizational chart for a hotel structure of hotel
l Listing factors structure of a hotel kitchen. kitchen.
affecting kitchen. l Analyse the l Interactive session
organizational l Appraise the variations affecting on how the
structure of factors that affect organizational number of people
kitchen. the organizational structure. in organizational
l Hierarchy in structure. structure
kitchen. differ from one
organization to
other.

Session-2: Duties and Responsibilities

l Explain the l Tabulate the duties l Appraise the l Interactive session
duties and & responsibilities division of work on division of work
responsibilities of each job among staff in kitchen and
associated with position in kitchen. and the flow of responsibilities
each job positions authority from associated with
in kitchen. top to bottom each job position
of hierarchical in kitchen.
structure.

xvi
Unit

1
Introduction to Hospitality Industry

Objectives
1. To outline the important aspects of Hospitality Industry.
2. To describe the operations of a five star hotel.
3. To explain the allied areas of this field.
4. To state the roles of each allied area.

1.1 Hospitality
The term “hospitality is a generic word which explains all the activities that are related to the
services and facilities offered for tourists and travellers.

The hospitality industry is a major contributor to the nation’s economy and gives plenty of
employment opportunities not only in hotel industry but also in the allied areas.

1
Hospitality providers include :
 Hotel Industry
 Standalone Restaurants / Chain of Restaurants / Fast foods
 Travel and Transport
 Information Technology
 Malls and Entertainments
 Heritage Sites
 Theme Parks
 Human Resource Development
 Tourism Industry and many more
 They may be either owned by the government or private sectors

The Hotel Industry

Hotels provide accommodation, food and beverage and the experience of home away from
home. The category of hotels will vary according to the star rating system. The star rating
system is based on the facilities and services that the hotel offers to its clientele.

The facilities offered by a hotel may or may not include the following facilities.

 Room / Bathrooms
 24 hours Services in Departments
 Radio, Television, video in Rooms
 Fax / Wi-fi

2
 Restaurants
 Lounges
 Bar
 Room Service
 Meetings and Conference halls
 Health Club and Gymnasium
 Swimming Pool
 Entertainment
The guest chooses their stay based on either the tariffs or facilities offered, the location of the
hotel or the size of the hotel the experience it offers.

1.2 Operations of Five Star Hotel

The five star hotel operates under the following departments.

Hotel

Front Office Housekeeping F&B Service Food Production

Laundry Maintenance Stores Bakery Main Stewarding

Sales & Financial Outlets Kitchen
Marketing Controller Receiving &
Butchery

Front Desk Concierge

The hotels’ different departments and their function all play a crucial role in ensuring the
successful growth of the business.

Front Office Department

This is the nerve centre of the hotel as it interacts with the guests for different needs
and desires as they walk into the hotel. The front office personnel should have excellent
communication skills as they face both international and domestic tourists. They have to be
diligent and multi task to resolve issues that may arise.

3
Concierge
Their main focus are the guests to make them loyal customers, they plan their travel routes,
recommends tours, attractions found in the city and provide useful information that will
positively enhance their stay. The experience they carry with them will ensure that they visit
the hotel the next time as well.

Housekeeping

4
This department functions like the eye of the hotel to provide the guests spotless experience.
They have eye for detail and look into all the needs of the guest starting from the fluffy pillow
and sheets in the rooms to the bathroom amenities and public areas.

Maintenance
Requires careful planning for the smooth functioning of equipment, electricity, water in all
departments. It does preventive maintenance as well. This department performs a wide
range of essential tasks to help smooth operations.

Food and Beverage Service

This department serves you with a smile. Be it Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner the team operates
round the clock to seek satisfaction of the customers. The guest is always right and take
utmost care to satisfy their needs. Stewarding department takes care of the cleanliness of the
hotels cutleries and crockery’s utensils used in the hotel.

Food Production

5
The scrumptious dishes to keep the guest happy, a team works behind this spread. They
work in a fast paced environment where the experience, talent of chefs pay a major role in
satisfaction.

Accounts (Financial controller): This plays a significant role in the managing of a hotel
efficiently. They provide the hotel with relevant financial data and does forecasting to
ensure sustainable business. Financial recommendation like the budgets are done by this
department.

Sales and Marketing: Creative selling is the keyword. The sales team promotes the brand
and the amenities of the hotel. They negotiate and propose large business dealings. The
Marketing Department is the analytical backbone of sales which increases the exposure
of the hotel through advertisement. Various social media platforms are created to spread
awareness of the facilities offered and the experience shared.

Human Resource Department: For commitment and development of the staff. It looks into
the staff welfare and administration. The fixation of staff salaries compensation and taxes are
some of their duties training and development of employees.

Security Department: This is the department which is responsible for protecting the
guests and staff of the hotel. The security department does patrolling, monitoring CCTV and
investigating cases.

Purchase Department and Stores: The main function of this department is to purchase
materials and equipment from the market as per the requirements of the hotel. A liaison
with the different vendors and companies for smooth supply is essential. Storing, Receiving,
Issuing of the purchased items come under their purview.

1.3 Introduction to Allied Areas of Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is renowned for the variety of opportunities it unfolds. It makes
the persons proficient in both knowledge and skills of the trade. The hospitality sector is so
vast and made of different professions.

Some of the key allied areas are:

1. Travel Agency : It is service owned either by the private or public sectors providing
travel and tourism to the public on behalf of supplier such as airlines, car rentals, cruise
liners, hotels, railways and package tours. This department makes travel plans for
business travelers. Some agencies specializes in commercial and business travel. These
agencies serve as general sales agents for foreign travel companies and vice versa. The
modern travel agency just appeared in the second half of the 19th century. Thomas
cook is the pioneer which developed package tour establishing a chain of agencies in
the last quarter of the 19th century.

6
 Travel agents grew with the advent of commercial aviation in 1920’s. Originally it
catered to the middle and upper class customers but later with the introduction of
package tours it made travel possible even for the lower middle class.

Operations: The travel agency sells travel products and services on behalf of the supplier
and makes a commission out of each sale made.

Some companies agree on percentages for selling of packages. Travel agents have now their
own travel websites with detailed information and online booking facilities. Travel Agency is
a link between the supplier and clients. They provide business to the suppliers and services
to the tourists at the same time. This demonstrates the importance of travel agency whose
role is growing more and more in the modern world. As travellers mostly do not have time
or the energy to organize their travel arrangement they prefer to make use of the travel
agents. A travel agent should have a sound knowledge of the product he sells, knowledge
of the customers and practices, information on health, visa and foreign exchange rules
and communication skills. He should know the fares, schedules, costs, availability seasons
regulations etc. They are responsible for the client’s safe journey and smooth experience
during travel and stay.

Fast Food

7
Foods that are prepared and dispensed quickly is known as fast foods. It started in 1950’s
in United States. Food is prepared quickly by using already pre-cooked or pre-prepared and
when ordered it is assembled, cooked to finish and served hot. Kiosks, fast food restaurants
serve this quick foods most of the fast food outlets are take always often with drive in service
that lets the customers to order and pick up food from their car. Common menu items are
fish and chips, hamburgers French fries, chicken nuggets, dosas, chat items, ice creams etc.
Pizza is also a common fast food and some of the famous chains are (Papajohns, Dominos,
Pizza Hut, Mc Donald’s, KFC, Burger King, Subway are the fastest growing franchise fast food
outlets). In India the concept of fastfood started as “Dhabas” and “Kalpi” popular all over the
country. Nirulas in Delhi were the pioneers in fast food industry in India.

The origins of fast foods are street foods. When there was urban development fast foods
sprung. In the Middle Ages London and Paris were brimming with vendors that sold cooked
meat, pies, flans etc. UK had a big part in development of local vendors. The past modern fast
food restaurants was of course US with the development of automobile. The concept was
high volume, high speed and low cost.

Fast Food Emphasis on

 Quickness
 Uniformity
 Economical Cost

Airlines

8
Airlines provide transport services for the travelling passengers and freight as well. Airlines
can be owned either private or public sectors. These companies should possess an air
operating certificate or license issued by the government aviation body. Airline services can
be domestic or international and operated as scheduled or charter services. An airline meal
is served for the passengers. These meals are usually prepared by airline catering services.
Meals are usually served in trays. Food is generally frozen and heated on the ground before
take-off. Food safety is of paramount importance, any case of food poisoning amongst the
passengers on the airline could have a disastrous consequence. There are approximately 600
flight kitchens world wide. The average kitchen prepares 600 to 7000 meals every day. The
first recorded in flight service was offered in 1927.

Some features unique to airline catering operations are

 Customers and their needs

 Menus has to be altered to suit consumption
 It involves large scale production
 Tray services predominate flight services
 Adoption of cook chill process to improve the shelf life of the products made

Retail

This is a secondary catering establishment. Retail is selling consumer goods or services to

customers. Distribution through multiple channels get them the profits. Retailing has become
online as well using electronic payments and delivery through couriers. Retail marketing is
done in departmental stores, warehouse, Boutique, convenience stores, super markets, malls
etc. The famous retailers are Walmart, Reliance, Wills Lifestyle etc. Customer relations is very
essential for continued patronage. The customers should receive what they desire for and

9
their needs to be fulfilled. The sales associate should greet the customers and make sure that
he feels important giving him undivided attention and helping him find what he is looking.
For retail owners it is extremely important to train his staff to provide excellent customer
service and skills. They have to attract new customers with the help of their loyal customers
and turn the new customers into regular. Customer service gives the business a good ongoing
reputation and competitive advantage.

Retail Emphasis on
 Customer satisfaction
 Selling of consumer goods or services through multiple channels
 Distribution of goods to all areas

Entrepreneur

Business Plan

Key Assets Structure

Funding Brand

People
Market

Sales

This is a person starting his own business, he develops a business plan acquiring human
and other required resources and is fully responsible for its success or future. Entrepreneur
chooses to be one when he has a clear line between work and private leisure time, a desire “to be
my own boss”, to keep family together or to avoid the stressful urban corporate employment.
Entrepreneurship is crucial for economic growth, job creativity, growth in productivity and
stimulate competition personal development and for solving social problems, identifying
opportunities, encrusting creativity and building new services. Entrepreneur originated in
the 17th century in France. They should possess the skills of sensing opportunities, take risks
in the face of uncertainties to open new markets, design new products, and develop innovative
processes. With rapid changing customer demands and expectations constant innovation by
business small or big is to meet and hopefully exceed these evolving demand expectations.

10
Hospitality industry offers wide opportunities for entrepreneurs in travel and tourism
industry.

Others
1. Learning and Development Centre

Human Resource, Planning, implementing, coordinating the present corporate and related
training programmes to ensure that all employees under the procedures of the company to
fulfil their responsibilities.

2. Events Management

The role of supervising and checking on the preparation and presentation at any social
gatherings such as hotels, restaurants, conferences, clubs etc., to make the event a memorable
one for the clients.

11
 Summary
Hospitality sector contributes to the overall development of a nation and offers
opportunities in the hospitality field. The hotel industry provides accommodation. Food
and beverage to all the guests. The hotel has so many division which looks into the utmost
satisfaction of the guests as they consider “customers as god”. This is assisted by allied
areas in the hospitality industry making travel and tourism a smooth experience.

Review Questions
Answer the following in 4 or 5 lines :
1. Explain the term “hospitality sector”.
2. List the four major departments of the hotel and their role in the hotel industry.
3. Explain the functioning of airline catering.
4. Elaborate the role of travel agency in hospitality sector.
5. Draw a chart showing the various departments of a five star hotel.

Practical
1. Make a collage of the various fields in the hospitality sector in groups of five each.
2. Draw a chart on departments of hotel industry and make presentation.

12
Unit

2
Career Opportunities

Objectives
1. To identify the career opportunities in the hospitality industry.
2. To list the designation in various fields of this sector.

1.1 Career Opportunities

The hospitality sector is renowned for the variety of opportunities it unfolds. It makes a
person proficient in both knowledge and skills. There are various types of catering
establishments providing not only food but also services that are aimed at attaching different
sectors of the public, thus widening the horizon of job opportunities.

The following sectors offer various positions.

Hotel Industry
This industry not only requires culinary skills but also personnel in the Food and Beverage
outlets, maintaining nutrition, quality control, financial controls.

13
Starting from four main departments the job offered are:

Front Office Supervisors: They are trained to perform check in / check outs, reservations,
guest phone messages and any other special requests.

Quality Managers: He should ensure that the operations of the hospitality sector and
customer service standards are being met.

Public Relations Coordinator: He maintains relationship through emails, phone calls etc. to
office prompt and efficient services to keep the customers loyal to the company.

Guest Relations Managers: He has to ensure that the guests utilize the products and services
offered by the company.

Food and Beverage Managers: He has to completely organize and manage the food and
beverage outlets of the hotel.

14
Executive Chef: He has to organize and manage the food and looks constantly into the food
cost to control expenses and pilferages.

Accommodation Managers: To look into the housekeeping department and other public
areas.

Other Job Opportunities

 Restaurant Manager
 Waiters / Head Waiters
 Sous Chef
 Chef in Charge of Each Departments of Kitchen

15
 Commis
 Desk Operators
 Floor Supervisors
 Training Managers

2.2 Career Opportunities in Allied Areas

Travel Industry: Travel industry implies
your major groups (1) Airlines (2) Roadways
(3) Railways (4) Shipping. The services offered
by these modes of transport offers various job
opportunities.

 Travel Agency Managers: They sell holidays

and travel related products
 Inbound / Domestic Travel Operators
 Outbound Operators
 Air Ticketing Officers
 Forex Officers
 Guest Relations Officers
 Catering Managers
 Airline Stewards / Flight Attendants
 Industrial Canteen Managers
 MICE Operators
 Events Co-ordinations

Retail Industry
This fast gaining popularity as they
look to catering personnel in the
following categories.

 Store Managers
 Customer Relations Officers
 Sales Associates
 Sales Executives
 Shift Managers

16
Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurs are founders and owners of a hospitality business.
Most typically a hotel, resort or restaurant, fast food, industrial or institutional catering he is
the person who runs the business and also develops new products and services to keep the
venture going over a period of time before he starts expanding his business.

think your idea

will change the world?

Food Critics and Writers: This is a platform for discussing the food served in various
restaurants which can promote the food or can be detrimental as well. Some write about
the prevailing food trends and interview personalities who are successful in their career.
They churn out secret recipes. They are well versed in the culinary arts and contribute their
finding to newspapers, magazines and media.

17
 Summary
Hospitality sector is so vast it offers a wide range of job opportunities from the skilled level
to management level. This sector opens the door for a person to become an entrepreneur
which brings out the creativity of a person. Food critic yet another field which is gaining a
lot of popularity and encourages healthy competition within restaurants for improvement.
Thus the hospitality sector is one of the many untapped industry and unfolds many job
opportunities for all.

Review Questions
Answer the following in 4 or 5 lines:

1. Give the job opportunities related to the hotel industry.

2. Explain the job of a sales and marketing personnel.
3. List the job opportunities available in the allied areas of the hospitality sector.
4. Elaborate on the job opportunities available in the allied areas of the hospitality sector.
5. Give in detail the jobs offered by the hotel industry.

Practical
1. Do a role play of the various job opportunities of the hospitality sector.
2. Make chart and presentation on jobs offered by each allied area.

18
Unit

3
Introduction to Kitchen

Objectives
1. Introduction to the operations of a commercial kitchen.
2. Advantage of having sections in a kitchen.
3. List the various sections of a kitchen and their major functions.
4. Identify skill and knowledge components to be developed for working in
commercial kitchen.
5. Defining Ergonomics.
6. Role & importance of ergonomics in kitchen.

3.1 Introduction to the Operations of a Commercial Kitchen

Think About It!

A commercial kitchen is always engaged in varied activities at any given point of time.
Imagine the kitchen of a restaurant in which five families are eating dinner. Each of them
has ordered separate set of four dishes. The kitchen staff is responsible for cooking
twenty dishes at the same time! How can a chef or even a team of chefs cope up with this
much work – and this is a simple example. In most five star hotels, there are more than
three restaurants, each restaurant usually have a seating of sixty or more people and
about fifty dishes in the menu from which a guest can order anything.

It is thus clear that one man cannot do all the jobs. Also if every chef in the kitchen tries
to prepare dish of each order what a chaos it will create.

19
Fundamentals of Kitchen Operations: The kitchen operations begin from the time when
the head chef of the kitchen checks the available ingredients in the kitchen, plans for next
day’s sales forecast and places the order for ingredients in the purchase department. The
purchase department further compiles orders from various kitchens and places the order
with the supplier. The raw material is received next day. It is then given to various sections as
per requirement and processed - or made ready to be cooked. The food is then cooked and
served to the guest by the chefs. It is a prime responsibility of a chef to prepare hygienic and
tasty food.

Importance of Having Sections in a Kitchen: A hotel kitchen is divided into various

sections. These sections can be small or large depending on the volume and type of business.
Each section has its own set of responsibility. All the sections together work as a team to
fulfil the guests need and prepare food in time.

It is Important to Divide the Work in Sections Because:

1. Cooking is a specialization job. Every chef cannot cook every cuisine well. For example
one chef may specialize in baking the best of breads or preparing delicious sweets while
the other may be best at making Indian curries. Similarly one may have expertise in
handling Tandoori dishes while the other chef may have expertise in preparing Chinese
dishes. The division of work in sections is important to get the best of each of the chef’s
expertise for tasty food and happy guests.
2. To clarify the responsibility of each chef in the kitchen and to avoid any chaos as to who
does what job. The division clarifies the responsibility of each section so that work can
be carried out well in time without any chaos.
3. This is also important to maintain quality and taste of the dishes. Each section has
few chefs who share the responsibility of preparing a consistent quality, taste and
presentation of dish to the guest. So, each time you order ‘Dal Makhani’ in your favourite
restaurant, you get same taste! Whenever a new chef joins the team, he is introduced
and taught the same preparation to maintain consistency.

Sections in a Kitchen
A large commercial kitchen can be divided into many sections. Some of them are:

a) Pre-Preparation & Cooking Area

b) Storage Area
c) Dish wash & Pot Wash Area
d) Chef’s Office

20
a) Pre-Preparation & Cooking Area
1. Main Kitchen: This section is open and working 24 hours a day and caters to the
orders of usually a Coffee Shop and In-room dining that is open round the clock. It
occupies a large space and provides a wide range of food varieties such as Indian,
continental, fast food etc. and has various subsections and a large pick-up counter.
The dishes vary from time to time – breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hence, the chefs
work in three shifts and complete required tasks. This kitchen acts as nerve centre
of all the kitchens in the hotel.
2. Specialization Kitchens:
These kitchens are usually
designed specially to cook
a particular cuisine such
as Indian, Continental,
Japanese, Thai, Indian,
Oriental etc. and cater to
a specialty restaurant in
the hotel. The layout of
each varies considering
the kind of ingredients to be processed and equipment required to prepare
special dishes. They are also called Satellite Kitchens.
Presently, there is also a trend of
‘Show Kitchen’. This is usually a
satellite kitchen which is partly
or wholly visible to the guests
dining in the restaurant through
a partition panel. The guests can
see the chefs working and
preparing food while sitting in the
restaurant.
3. Butchery: This is section which specializes in cutting of poultry, meat and all
types of seafood. It is responsible for receiving and processing all types of meat
products, clean and cut them as
required in restaurant. It is then
weighed, vacuum sealed and stored
frozen till required for use.
4. Bakery: This section is responsible
for preparing all baked products
i.e. breads, biscuits, cakes, pastries,
patties and a wide range of sweets
such as pies, tarts, puddings etc.

21
 5. Larder: This is also called ‘Cold
Kitchen’. This is responsible for
preparing cold dishes such as
salads, sandwiches, canapés,
fruit platters, cold meat platters
etc.
6. Banquet Kitchen: A banquet
is a large hall which is used to
hold a variety of functions as
per guests need. This could
be a marriage, fashion show,
product launch, diplomatic
dinner etc. This kitchen is
responsible for preparing food
in large quantities. Some range
from preparing food for 50
guests while others cater to
1000 guests. Depending on the
guest requirement, the menu also varies with each party. Banquet chef thus has a
challenging job to prepare a wide range of dishes in
widely varying quantities.
7. Commissary: Some hotels have a separate
section altogether to clean and cut vegetables and
fruits. This section is called Commissary and it is
responsible for preparing vegetables and fruits
ready to use in other kitchens. They peel and cut
and process vegetables and fruits, pack and supply
to other kitchens for cooking dishes.

b) Storage Area
1. Dry Store: Cupboards and racks are there in each section to keep dry ingredients
at room temperature. This may include flour, rice, pulses, cereals, jams etc.
2. Commercial Refrigerators: Huge refrigerators
are there in kitchen to
3. Walk-in: A large refrigerated room where one
can walk inside and store ingredients on racks. A
temperature of about 4ºC is maintained suitable
to store fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs etc.
4. Deep Freezers: A room usually behind walk-

22
 in with another door where sub-zero temperature is maintained. This is used to
store meats, ice creams and other frozen products.

c) Dish Wash & Pot Wash Area

All the kitchen utensils, pots and pans
must be clean and hygienic at all times.
Hence, after each use they are kept in a
separate pot wash area. Once cleaned,
they can be kept in a pot rack and reused.
Similarly, all the crockery and cutlery
used in the restaurant is also kept in dish
wash area. These too are cleaned and
sanitized after each use. Dish washing
machines are used for the task.

d) Chef’s Office
This is an area from where the Head Chef does all his administration tasks and
paperwork. It is also used to place orders to purchase department and to check food
cost data.

A Sample Kitchen Layout is Given Below:

GOODS IN

DRY
STORE
REMOTE
FIRE ALARM
PANEL

WALK-IN WALK-IN
OFFICE FRIDGE FREEZER
(Unfurnished)

FLIGHT
DISHWASH
UNIT
PREP
AREA

HOT
FOOD Fire
PRODUCTION Exit

23
There are double doors at both the entry and exit points. One door is to go in and other is to
come out of the kitchen. This is a safeguard against collisions and injuries.

Remember, each hotel has its own best possible layout as per their requirement. They may
have some or all the sections in the kitchen. They may even have more ….for e.g. a bakery can
further be divided into baking area and pastry or confectionary area as colder temperatures
are needed here.

3.2 Attitude and Behaviour in the Kitchen

Attitude means mind-set or approach of a person towards work and society in general.
Behaviour is ones general conduct or manners. Both attitude and behaviour are inter-related.
If we imbibe positive thoughts in our minds and keep a responsible attitude, it will naturally
be visible in our acts, conduct and manners.

A commercial kitchen is hub of activities. Many people belonging to different regions,

educational background, age groups, religion work in a kitchen. Also, during the regular shift,
one is always on the toes to complete assigned tasks and responsibilities. There might also
be trying times when a chef is compelled to control costs and make most judicious use of
resources and ingredients given to him.

Also, cooking is a continuous life-long learning. There is no end to learning new to prepare
new dishes, various ways of cooking one dish, the art of presentation etc.

For working in such circumstances one must develop some attitudinal and behavioural traits
to work as a successful professional:
 To maintain personal hygiene at all times.
 To maintain workplace hygiene.
 To follow safety rules and regulations in kitchen.
 Being quality conscious.
 Following standard operating procedures.
 Being responsible, honest and committed to complete the tasks assigned.
 A good team player and being responsible for ones share of responsibility.
 A keen attitude to learn new things.
 A sound knowledge of the work assigned.
 To apply the knowledge in daily work place.
 Respecting the values of the organization.
 To continually enhance ones skill and knowledge.
 Being patient to bear the work pressure in busy times.
 Support the team members and encourage all to work better.
 To have passion for cooking.

24
3.3 Skills and Knowledge
Knowledge literally means know-how or understanding the fundamentals of a particular
field. It may be electrical engineering, trade or commerce or Food.

On the other hand skills are an application of knowledge gained. It is the ability to apply the
knowledge at work to get the desired outcome.

Both are equally important part of food production. A chef must know his ingredients and
their taste, varieties available, season in which they are available, changes that take place on
application of heat or cold, cooking in acidic or alkaline medium etc. Unless a chef knows his
ingredients well, he cannot make best use of them.

Similarly, the chef should also know about equipment used in kitchen. These equipment are
an essential part of a commercial kitchen. They speed up the work, make it easy and also
help in maintaining consistent quality. A chef must also have knowledge of market prices
and costs of ingredients and dishes. A hotel is after all a business which survives on profits. A
major chunk of cost is food cost. Hence, controlling food cost is an important part of being a
chef. A chef in modern time is a chef, sales executive, cost controller, entrepreneur, artist and
scientist.

If a person is able to gain the knowledge and also apply it practically, then this profession has
no dearth.

3.4 Ergonomics in Kitchen

Ergonomics is the science of work in relation to the individual. By learning and following
some simple techniques one can increase one’s productivity, efficiency, safety and
comfort at work place. It reduces stress, increases job satisfaction and helps in preventing
injuries.

Following are brief notes on how to apply ergonomics in a commercial

kitchen:

 Always maintain straight back posture while cutting vegetables

or cooking. Do not bend the back for long hours.
 Do not use blunt knives. They require more force to cut and cause
fatigues and sprains. More force can also tilt the knife causing
cuts and injuries.
65 - 95 cm

If we fold our arm and rest the hand straight on the table from
elbow to palm, that is elbow level. A work that requires downward
force such as cutting and chopping is best done below the elbow
Heavy Work
level.

25
 While lifting a heavy pot or box, squat on
the floor and grip the weight. Keep it close
to body and get up with a smooth motion
without jerks. When a turn is to be taken, do
not twist the back, instead move with feet.
 Use suitable equipment following safety
procedures required to use it. Proper lifting technique A very bad idea
 Use well-oiled trolleys loaded to permissible
capacity to carry things from one place to another.
 Never run in a kitchen in haste. Even in urgency walk fast but carefully.
 Keep the work area clean at all times. Spillages of oil or water can cause slips and
injuries.
 Always wear protective clothing and suitable antiskid shoes.
 Never carry hot oil or water. Let it cool and then transport.
 Allow hot equipment to cool before cleaning.
Remember, it is good to employ correct procedures rather than curing injuries and dealing
with accidents.

Summary
A commercial kitchen is divided into various sections which work in coordination with
each other to ensure timely preparation of food for guest. The four major sections in
a kitchen are Pre-preparation & preparation area, Storage area, Pot wash & dish wash
and Chef’s office. A person needs to have both theoretical knowledge and hands-on
practical skill to be a successful professional chef. While working, one should ensure
safe practices to prevent accidents and injuries.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. Describe the importance of having sections in a large commercial kitchen.
2. Define Ergonomics. Why is it important?
3. Explain the role of correct attitude and behaviour in kitchen.
4. Differentiate between skill and knowledge. How are they interrelated in kitchen?

26
II. Match the following :
Column A Column B
a) Chinese kitchen Cookies
b) Butchery Vegetable & Fruits
c) Larder Round the clock work
d) Commissary Specialty kitchen
e) Bakery Sandwiches
f) Banquet Coffee shop
g) Main kitchen Fish

III. Discuss in Class:

Kitchen may become a dangerous place to work if one is not careful. Discuss the ways to
prevent injuries and accidents in kitchen.

Practical
1. Collect pictures of various sections of a kitchen. Identify each of them and list
their major functions.
2. Draw or collect pictures of ways that help to make work in kitchen safe and easy.

27
Unit

4
Protective Clothing and its Maintenance

Objectives
1. To know about the protective clothing.
2. To be aware of the importance of protective clothing.
3. To know about the types of protective clothing.

Introduction to the Protective Clothing

It is very necessary to understand about the Protective Clothing in the Food Production
Department.

Definition
The protective clothing can be defined as the clothing which can be especially designed,
fabricated or treated to protect the kitchen personnel against the different situations
occurred and hazards caused by the sudden and extreme changes in physical, environmental
conditions and also dangerous working conditions etc.

4.1 Importance of Protective Clothing & its Maintenance

The importance of protective clothing is as follows :

 To prevent from any injury

 To avoid the damage occurred to clothes from grease and oil etc
 To prevent any type of injury from contaminations
 To have an identification of the personnel too
 To protect the wearer from any infections
 Helps to protect from different radiations also in some of the cases
 To prevent body contact from fomits

4.2 Types of Protective Clothing

There are different requirements of the protective clothing in different trades.

28
We are going to discuss the clothing required for the food production personnel:

 A white hat
 A white necktie
 A nametag (optional)
 A white chef coat
 A dish cloth
 A white apron (knee length)
 A check trouser
 A slip resistant shoes

White hat

White necktie

Optional nametaq

White cooks coat with

white or black buttons

Tourchon or dish cloth

White knee length apron

Check trousers or slacks

Sturdy slip resistant shoes

White Hat
It is one of the most important part of the protective clothing. It is generally designed in such
a way to maintain the hygiene while working.

The white hat will help in protecting the hair from smoke and oil in the kitchen. It allows
the air to circulate on top of the head. It absorbs the perspiration from forehead and avoids
hair falls too. It is mandatory for any of the food production personnel to wear the cap while
working in the kitchen.

White Necktie
The necktie is second protective clothing required for the food production personnel. It can be
of any colour which sometimes, reveals about the designation of the personnel too. The necktie

29
is generally a large triangular light cloth material which has to be folded and worn by the food
production personnel and it can be knot like a normal tie. In modern air conditioned kitchen,
the necktie might not be used but it is always regarded as respect by professionals. The actual
purpose to wear this is for absorption of perspiration and guard the neck from drafts.

The Nametag
It is an optional part of the clothing of kitchen personnel. It is generally worn on the left of
chef coat by the kitchen personnel.

The White Chef Coat

The most important protective clothing for any kitchen personnel is the chef coat. It can be
different colours but white colour is preferred as it is very easy to identify any stains on it.

The chef coat protects the most sensitive part of the human body, the chest and arms. It
protects the body from heat of stoves and splashes from boiling liquids. The double breasted
chef coat also protects the body from extreme cold which the kitchen personnel faces while
entering the deep freezer room or walk-in room. The four layer cloth of the chef coat and full
sleeved can protect from heat source and front body.

A White Apron
The apron is designed to protect the lower body from the different accidents which can occur
in the kitchen while working. It is worn around the waist and sometimes hanged from the
neck. It is very convenient to change the apron. So it also allows the kitchen personnel to help
him in keeping clean.

A Dish Cloth
It is kind of a tea towel it is very helpful in protecting the kitchen personnel from heat white
handling hot pans and pots. It is neatly folded and hanged on left side of the waist. It should
be always dry, particularly while using for hot pans and pots.

A Check Trouser
Trouser is the protective clothing which should be comfortable to wear. It protects the lower
part of the body which is not guarded by the apron also up to the knee. It can be of different
pattern but the check pattern is common in the hospitality industry.

A Pair of Shoes (Slip Resistant)

Shoes are very necessary for the protection of the food production personnel. It should be
non slippery, comfortable, protective toes and should not absorb water.

30
 Summary
The students will come to know about the protective clothingand their importance.
They will also learn the types of protective clothing.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. Prepare a list of the important part of the protective clothing and draw a chart of
it.
2. Submit the chart to your teacher for assessment.

II. Assessment
A. Fill in the blanks :
1. The shoes used in kitchen should be ...................... .
2. The apron used for the kitchen personnel should be up to the length of
...................... .
3. Nametag is an ...................... part of the uniform.

B. State whether true or false :

1. The chef coat should be double breasted.
2. The shoes used in kitchen should be of cotton.
3. Apron protects the head part of the kitchen personnel.

Practical
1. The different parts of kitchen uniform can be discussed one by one. The students
can be asked to prepare a chart or draw different parts of the uniform on a chart
paper.

31
Unit

5
Personal Hygiene

Objectives
1. To learn the importance of personal hygiene.
2. To understand the maintaining of personal hygiene.
3. To learn the hand washing techniques.

5.1 Importance of Personal Hygiene

It is very important for any food production personnel to maintain the personal hygiene. It is
important due to so many reasons:

 It can be due to the personal reasons

 It can be for the social health
 It is the way of living a good life too
If we can maintain a good personal hygiene than it will help us to prevent the development
of different infections and also the spread of illness and bad odour. The importance of
personal hygiene should be taught in the early age. The health problems are the result of
poor personal hygiene.

5.2 Maintenance of Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene is about keeping our body, our teeth, our hair, our clothes and also our
genital area clean. It is one of the mechanisms which is used for breaking the cycle of disease
transmission. It will also help the individual to have a good aesthetic value by the people
he/she is living with. Personal hygiene is therefore can be explained as a measure taken at
individual level which will promote personal cleanliness which will avoid the transmission
of diseases from source to susceptible hosts is prevented.

Many health problems will raise due to the poor hygiene behaviour of people.

Following are the points are necessary for maintaining the personal hygiene:

32
Body Image
The person having depression and neglected feel will have low self esteem which is also
applicable while maintaining the personal hygiene. The well maintained, hygienic body
will also have charming personality and attractive impression on others and also gives
confidence to.

Social Reasons
By ensuring that our body is clean and well presented, we become more assured of
projecting a positive body image that reflects our personalities.

Health Reasons
Always a poor hygiene will lead to a poor health. If any type of injury is not treated properly
than due to bad hygiene it can lead to infections. Some of the infections are tend to spread so
they should be treated on time.

Psychological Reasons
A well presented person will have a confident behavior and will impress others too.

Maintaining a hygienic practice helps to reduce the risks of ill health.

5.3 Hand Washing Techniques

Washing of hands is the most necessary part of the
personal hygiene. Now a question comes in our
mind that when we should wash our hands?

We should wash our hands:

Before
 Starting to Work: When we are going to start
any work which is related to the production
than it is very necessary to wash the hands. it can be done with any good hand
washing liquid and then wipe your hands before the start of job .

After
 Handling Raw Ingredients : There are so many raw ingredients , which are purchased
with dust and dirt like sometimes we find soil attached with the root vegetables,
onion also have dist on it and similar with all the raw materials. So its very necessary
to wash hands after handling the raw ingredients.

33
 Smoking, Eating or Drinking: Its very necessary for a food production personnel
to wash hands after the meals or after drink. It iscompulsory to wash hands after
smoking as it can lead to contamination also.
 Using a Handkerchief or Tissue: Washing the hands after using the a handkerchief
and the tissue is very necessary as they might contain some germs which can lead to the
contamination.
 Hing Any Part of Your Body: Our body contain lots of minute germs which are not
visible with the naked eyes. So if any of the food production personnel touches any part
of the body he/she should wash hands after touching any part of the body.
 Cleaning or Taking Out Garbage: While cleaning or taking out the garbage, we come
in contact with harmful microorganisms , so it is very well suggested that after cleaning
or taking out the garbage the food production personal should wash the hand with
hand washing liquid soap.
 Using the Washroom: While working in the production area the kitchen personnel
come in contact with the washroom which can lead to contamination also. It is very
much required that he should wash hands properly with water and soap after using the
washroom.
Washing hands is a very good way to reduce the chance of contaminating food with the
bacteria. Warm water is always good to use for washing hands and its very necessary to
wash the back portion of the hands, wrists and also between the fingers. The hands should be
dried properly after every wash of hands. In case of wearing disposable gloves , they should
be changed regularly , after an interval of time or depending on the type of use.

Summary
This chapter will help to learn importance of personal hygiene. The students can learn
the different aspects of personal hygiene. The students will be able to understand the
different techniques of washing hands.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. Prepare a chart on different hand washing techniques.
2. Submit the chart to your teacher for assessment.

II. Assessment
A. Fill in the blanks :
1. The washing of hands is necessary ........................ and ........................ going to
washroom.

34
 2. The .................. is most important part of the body which helps in maintaining
the personal hygiene .
3. Nametag is an ........................ part of the uniform.

B. State whether true or false:

1. The chef coat should be double breasted.
2. The shoes used in kitchen should be of cotton.
3. Apron protects the head part of the kitchen personnel.

Practical
1. The students can be demonstrated about the different hand washing techniques.
They can be asked to prepare some charts related to this.

35
Unit

6
Equipments and Kitchen Tools

Objective
1. Making the students know about the kitchen equipments.
2. To find the care & maintenance of equipments.
3. Discussing the work place hygiene.
4. To make the awareness about the different types of knives.
5. The students should be able to find the safety procedures for handling knives.

6.1 Importance of Kitchen Equipments

Introduction to the Kitchen Equipments: Kitchen equipments can be defined as the
cooking tools which will help in making the cooking effective and quick. The type, size and
amount of these equipment will be depending upon the type of menu which is provided and
the quantity for which the cooking will take place.
Walk in cooler
Types of Equipments
Large Equipments: Cooking range, electric oven, bone saw
machine, deep fat fryer, buffalo chopper,salamander, kitchen
table etc.

36
Medium Size Equipments: Peeler, blender, mixer, mincer etc.

Small Size Equipments : Pan, wok, spoon , ladle, grater, masher, pots etc.

6.2 Care and Maintenance of Equipments

It is necessary to understand how to care for the equipments and how to maintain them.
Following are the details for few of them, how to maintaine and care the equipments:

 Deep fat fryer should be free from debris and it should be ensured that the fat is disposed
properly after frying, the fat used in fryer should be filtered properly.
 Ovens should be preheated before baking and should be checked inside before turning
it off or on. Water should not be sprayed in ovens.
 Clean the dough sheeter with a moist cloth after the use. The machine should be fully
disconnected before starting the cleaning process.
 Avoid excess water use in microwaves while cleaning, don’t press any button while it is
functioning.
 The pulveriser should be cleaned properly after every use , where the attachments
should be detached and it should be dried properly before storage.
 The kitchen personnel should be trained properly, how to handle the machine and how
to clean it also.
 Before using the flat top grill , make sure that the surface is cleaned and correct
temperature is there.
 While cleaning the steam kettles use hot soapy water on the inner and we cloth on the
outer.

37
6.3 Work Place Hygiene
Regular cleaning at workplaces, equipments and devices should be carried out to ensure
the adequate level of workplace hygiene. A designated person should be appointed to to
oversee such operations. there should be maintaining of hygiene at all the work place. As it
is going to be effective for all the work.We have already discussed about the hygiene in the
previous chapters too.

 At the work place , there should be proper arrangement for the washing of any perishable
food item like- fruits, vegetables etc.
 After the work is complete the kitchen should be thoroughly cleaned.
 There should be cleaning done after every shift, and there is also provision for weekly
cleaning process,where each and everything has to be cleaned.
 It is preferred to do the weekly cleaning on the day when there is minimum of work .
 All the kitchen personnel should visit the doctor for periodical check up so that there
should not be any effect by the communicative disease, if any, in the working of the
kitchen.
 Rubbish or waste should be kept in suitable containers or litter-bins which are located
at convenient locations in the workplace. The containers should be emptied daily,
preferably near the end of each working day.
 Ventilation is the process of supplying and removing air by natural or mechanical means
to and from a workplace.
 It is essential to ensure that adequate ventilation is provided to a workplace, especially
in an enclosed building.
 In the case of activities that cause exposure to air-borne contaminants, special control
measures or facilities should be considered.
 An effective drainage system should be provided so that water can be removed and
drained quickly from the floor. This prevents the floor from causing slips and accidents,
and reduces the flourishing growth of mould and other micro-organisms.
 Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences and wash basins should be provided at
readily accessible places.

6.4 Knife and its Maintenance

Apart from the tools discussed above, various kinds of knives are used in the kitchen. There
are different kinds of knives used for different types of cuttings. Many other kinds of knives are
used for specific purpose, for decorating fruits and vegetables, for opening oyster shells etc.

Straight Edged Knives : Small (paring, turning, filleting, boning) large (chopping, pallet,
carving knife and fork).

Serrated Edged Knives and Saws

38
Types of Knives

6.5 Safety Procedure for Handling Knives

How to withdraw a Knife from its Sheath Safely

Right Wrong

39
Tips for Safe Knife Use
 If you are new to knives, take small, measured pieces of wood off to start with.
 Always be aware of where the fingers are and cut away from yourself and others in a
clutter free area.
 Never cut a piece of wood with your holding hand in the way of the blade’s direction of
travel
 Prevent injury to self and others (carrying, handling), ensure quality of finished product,
improved efficiency (time, waste

Holding of Knife

How to hold a Chef Knife

Clean, Maintain and Store of Knives

Sharpening of Knife
Appropriate washing/drying techniques, sharpening, safe and secure storage is required for
the knives. It is well said that a sharp knife will cut the commodities but a blunt knife will cut
the hand. The knife used should be sharpened properly or else it will cut the hand. The knife
should be stored at safe place after using.

40
 Summary
This chapter is making the students aware the kitchen equipment, care and
maintenance of the kitchen equipments. It also deals with the work place hygiene .
The students would be able to find the safety procedures.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. Prepare a chart on different types of knives.
2. Submit the chart to your teacher for assessment.

II. Assessment
A. Fill in the blanks:
1 Walk-in-fridge is considered to be the ......................... equipment .
2. Oven is classified as ......................... type of equipment.
3. Measuring spoon is classified as ......................... equipment.

B. State whether true or false:

1. The cleaning of kitchen should be done daily after cooking is over.
2. The fish knife will be used to cut all the fruits.
3. Hygiene at working place is not necessary.

Practical
1. The students can make collection of different knives and they can be demonstrated
about the uses of different uses of these knives.
2. They can also make the list of small, medium and small equipment on a chart.

41
Unit

7
Culinary History

Objectives
1. To explain the historical background of the culinary field.
2. To describe the evolution of food.

7.1 Historical Background

The origin of cooking or the advent of cooking played an important role in evolution of human
beings. It is believed by most of the anthropologists that cooking fires developed 1.8 to 2.3
million or 2,50,000 years ago when the primitive human first tasted meat that was cooked

42
due to the forest fire. He felt he was able to chew and digest the meat when it was cooked.
Palaeolithic period was spit roasting of meat, a method of cooking, where food was suspended
with support directly on to the flame. This was the only culinary technique they discovered.
The Neolithic period saw the introduction of pottery, cooking techniques improved. The
Romans were the first to introduce flat bread. They used crackled kernels and water to make
a paste and flattened this on the hot stone.
The Early Civilization : Mesopotamians, Aryans, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans developed the
culinary techniques with the introduction of equipment, domestication of livestock, cultivation
and travelling. Preservation of food was done by salting or smoking to improve shelf life.
The invasions of France by the Romans and then by the Scandinavians and North Africa
were predominant factors is culinary growth. The Greeks and Latins created the basics of
modern cookery by fine tuning culinary preparations. They not only refined the preparation
techniques they introduced new tools and equipment. Invasions and wars influenced the
food habits to a large extent. In India the Turkish, Mughal invasion and wars influenced the
food in certain states. British occupancy influenced the continental food served in India.
Religion like Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Zoroastism
brought about vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism.

7.2 Development of Modern Cookery

Food no longer stays as a basic necessity it has evolved into an artistic work and offers job
opportunities due to its growth. The following factors developed food.
 Economic Growth
 Industrialization
 Tourism
 Modernization
 New Equipment
In the 17th and 18th century food was famous in Europe due to the cooking techniques
and standardization when compared with other world. In the 19th century was the age of
nationalism where the cuisine gave an identity. With the movement of food from and to
Europe due to travel there was change in the society causing growth in food catering.
Industrialization: This was the turning point were production, marketing and standardization
was introduced in bulk. This lead to innovations and the birth of food as catering business.
Tourism: People travelling from one destination to another learnt the cooking techniques
from the local chefs. People were open to sharing ideas and technology which influenced the
further growth.

Modernization: Chef Antonin Careme in the 17th and 18th century introduced art and science
while creating his food. He was the first to record recipes in a standard manner. Chef Maitre

43
Auguste Escoffier in the 20th century was regarded as the emperor of the worlds kitchen
he shaped the modern menu and introduced the kitchen Brigade pushing the food industry
into a profitable profession. He standardised recipes and menu, making it universal. Till date
chefs follow his book ‘le Guide Culinaire’ as guidelines chefs later on introduced their ideas
and made food a complete delight. Today media plays an important role in its never-ending
growth of creativity and innovation.

Chef Marie-Antoine Carême Chef Escoffier

Summary
The greatest discovery made by the early man was fire which led to food evolution.
This brought about better quality, many innovations and creativity. The art and science
of cooking food was considered and the outcome of the food was its evolution. The
upsurge in the market with better quality food items that was standardized due to bulk
production during the industrial revolution was a break through. This evolution helped
in the betterment of products and continuous growth in the food industry.

Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. Explain the role of Chef Escoffier in culinary history.
2. Describe the growth of food during industrial revolution.
3. List the various invasions which influenced food evolution.
4. Elaborate the historical background of food.
5. Write about the evolution of culinary industry in the mid-17 and 18 centuries.

Practical
1. Make a pictorial chart depicting the evolution of food.
2. Make presentations on the evolution of your regional cuisine.

44
Unit

8
Kitchen Commodities

Objectives
1. Classification kitchen commodities.
2. Identification of various groups of commodities such as cereals, pulses, fruits,
vegetables, spices, herbs, fats and oils, dairy products, eggs, meats and seafood
and their role in food.

8.1 Kitchen Commodities

The raw materials and ingredients used in kitchen to prepare various dishes are called
kitchen commodities.

Importance
It is important for a chef to identify the variety of ingredients used in kitchen. It is also
important to know and understand the variety of each of them and their taste, colour, texture,
nutritional value and nature of product that results when cooked by different methods.

Kitchen commodities can be classified as per their origin – Plant or Animals.

Kitchen Commodities

Plant Origin Animal Origin Others

• Pulses • Meat • Salt
• Cereals • Fish & Shell fish
• Vegetables • Eggs
• Fruits • Milk & milk products
• Herbs / Spices Oils & Fats
• Oils & Fats
• Sugar

45
Plant Origin

Pulses
A pulse is an annual leguminous crop which yields seeds within a pod. Pulses are an important
source of proteins in diet. They contain about 20 – 25% protein by weight. They contain no
cholesterol and little fat or sodium. Pulses also provide iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc
and other minerals, which play a variety of roles in maintaining good health.

The seeds are dried and milled to ultimately result in the product we get in market as ‘Dal’.
There are numerous varieties of pulses grown and eaten in the world. However, some
common varieties of pulses eaten in India are:

a) Black Gram (Urad Dal)

This dal is available in three forms in market:
 As whole black seed called Urad sabut or Mah ki dal which is used in dishes such as Dal
Makhani.
 The split form is used in preparing khichdi or dals.
 The de-skinned form called urad dhuli is used in many south Indian preparations such
as vada, dosa and idli. It is also cooked on its own as dal.

46
b) Green gram (Moong)
This dal is also available in three forms in market:
 As whole green seed called Moongsabut dal which can be cooked on its own or
sprouted to prepare salads.
 The split form is used to prepare khichdi or dal.
 The de-skinned form is considered to be easy to digest and light and usually takes
on seasoning and spices well.

c) Bengal Gram (Chana Dal)

This is a versatile dried split yellow coloured lentil which when cooked gives a creamy
texture, nutty flavour and is added to a lot of vegetable dishes as well.

d) Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)

Red kidney beans are an integral part of meal in North India. They are cooked on their
own with tempering and popularly eaten with rice.

e) Cowpea (Lobia)
Similar to red kidney beans but little smaller and of cream colour with a big black
eye, they are also boiled to prepare salads or eaten after tempering as dal along with
meal.

47
f) Red Gram (Masoorki Dal)
This dal is available in two forms in market:
 Whole grey coloured disc shaped dal known as masoorsabut dal.
 Split red coloured dal known as masoordhuli dal.

g) Chickpea (Safed Chole)

Popularly cooked in India as Pindichole or the combination of ChanaBhatoor. They can
also be boiled and mixed with other ingredients to form salad or sprouted.

h) Pigeon pea (Arhar / Tuvar)

This dal is eaten all over India and cooked &tempered on its own or mixed with
vegetables such as in Sambhar.

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Use of Pulses
 Pulses are cooked on their own as part of Indian meal and eaten as dal / dhal. They are
simply boiled with water, salt and spices and are often tempered.
 They are also baked / fried to make an ingredient in savouries (Namkeens).
 Pulses can be sprouted and used as salads. They may also be just boiled and mixed with
spices and other ingredients to yield a variety of salads.
 They are also soaked and grinded to prepare a wide variety of pancakes (Dosa / Chilla),
vadas, bhalla etc.
 Pulses can also be soaked, made into a paste, spiced and made into dumplings called
wadi or mangodi and also used to make papad / poppadums. These are sundried after
preparation and can be cooked in a variety of ways later.
 Pulses can also be cooked to make desserts e.g. pal payasam, moong dal halwa etc.

Cereals
A cereal is a grass, cultivated for the edible components of its grain.
Cereal grains are grown in greater quantities and provide more food
energy worldwide than any other type of crop- they are therefore
staple crops. A staple food, is a food that is eaten routinely, and in such
quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a standard diet in a
given population, supplying a large fraction of the needs for energy-rich
materials and generally a significant proportion of the intake of other
nutrients as well. In their natural form (as in whole grain), cereals are a
rich source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, oils, and protein.
When refined by the removal of the bran (outer skin mostly fibre) and
germ (contains micronutrients), the remaining endosperm is mostly
ENDOSPERM
carbohydrate.
BRAN
Most commonly grown and eaten cereals in India are wheat and rice.
However other cereals include oats, corns, maize, ragi, jowar, bajra etc. GERM

They are a rich source of carbohydrates in diet.

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a) Wheat : It is a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins and dietry fibre. It contains a
protein gluten which is essential for bread making. Wheat is milled to produce semolina
(sooji/ rava), Whole wheat flour, Refined flour (Maida) and even Porridge (Dalia). It is
used to make rotis, cakes, biscuits, bread, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereal, idlis, upma
etc.

b) Rice : Eaten on its own or made into a flour. There are hundreds of varieties of rice
grown in the world. Each varies in grain size and starch content. Thus each variety is
unique in final appearance after cooking, aroma, texture, taste and nutritional value.
Rice itself is cooked to prepare a wide variety of pulao and biryani. Rice flour is used to
make roti, idli, dosa and sweets such as modak or phirni.

c) Maize : Maize and cornmeal (ground dried maize) constitute a staple food in many
regions of the world. It is popularly eaten in tacos & tortillas in Mexico, as Polenta in

50
 Italy and the flour is used to prepare Punjabi Makki di Roti. It is also popular as popcorn
or boiled corn snack and as breakfast cereal cornflakes. The whole cob is char grilled to
be eaten as bhutta / challi in many parts of India.
d) Pearl Millet (Bajra) : It is majorly grown in Rajasthan and the flour is used to prepare
bajreki roti, bhakri and khakhras. It is also used as porridge and in khichdi.

e) Barley : Even though wheat and barley look similar, there is difference between them -
Wheat has a weaker taste whereas barley has a stronger taste. Barley has a higherfiber
content than wheat and Barley can be cooked easily as rice although wheat has to be
milled before cooking. Barley is thus mostly used to produce malt i.e. used in preparation
of malted beverages and beer.

f) Oat : Oats are most popular as porridge. However oat flour or oat meal is used in
preparation of cookies, as breakfast cereal and to prepare oatmeal breads.

51
g) Finger Millet (Ragi) : A cereal majorly grown in Karnataka, it is commonly consumed
in many states. Ragi flour is used to prepare dosas, bhakri or rotis. It is also used to
make puttu. The grain may be malted and ground and then mixed with milk, boiled
water or curd.

Vegetables
A vegetable is any part of a plant that is consumed by humans as food as part of a savoury
course or meal.

The following classification is based on the part of plant being used as vegetable:

Types Description Examples

Bulbs They grow just below Onion, Garlic, Spring

the surface of the Onion, Leeks, Fennel.
ground and produce
a fleshy, leafy shoot
above the ground.
Bulbs may contain
layers or clustered
segments.

Roots They also grow below Carrot, Radish, Turnip,

the ground as long Beet Root.
or round shaped tap
root and have green
leafy shoots above the
ground.

52
 Types Description Examples

Tubers Tubers are various Potato, Sweet potato,

types of modified Ginger, Elephant Yam.
plant structures that
are enlarged to store
nutrients. They can be
root or stem.

Flowers These are edible Cauliflower, Broccoli,

flowers of certain Globe Artichoke.
plants.

Fruits Fleshy fruits of a plant Capsicum, Chillies,

eaten as vegetables. Cucumber, Egg plant
(Please remember (Brinjals), Pumpkin,
that this is a culinary Squash, Tomato, Gourds
classification. (Bitter gourd – Karela,
Scientifically these Ridge gourd – Turai, Bottle
vegetables are fruits gourd - Lauki).
of a plant but in
cooking we use them
as vegetables).

Leaves Edible leaves of Cabbage, Lettuce, Mustard

plants. leaves (sarsonkasaag),
Spinach (Paalak),
Fenugreek leaves (methi).

Pods A legume that opens French Beans, Peas, Snow

and contain seeds. Pea.
These are the pods
that are eaten while
seeds are still tender
and pods are green.

53
 Types Description Examples

Stems The edible stalks of Asparagus, Celery,

plants when the stalk Kohlrabi.
is the main part of the
vegetable

Fungi All varieties of Button Mushrooms, Enoki,

mushrooms fall into Shittake, Truffle, Oyster
this category. Mushrooms.

 
Use of Vegetables
 Vegetables form an integral part of daily meal as it is a source of vitamins, minerals
and fibre. They are cooked in various combinations either as a dry preparation or with
some gravy.
 Vegetables are also used to prepare snacks.
 Some vegetables are even used to prepare sweets such as ghiyakilauz, carrot halwa,
petha etc.
 Cooked vegetables mixed with dressings and other ingredients form a nutritious salad.
They are also added to curd to form Raitas.
 They are also used in stuffing the Breads or Pastries (e.g. quiche).
 Juices can also be extracted from vegetables and used on their own (Carrot / Beetroot/
Bottle gourd etc.) or may be in a cocktail (e.g. tomato juice in Bloody Mary).

Fruits
Fruits are a very good source of Vitamins and Minerals essential to our health. Some
common varieties of fruits are:

54
 Name Description

Papaya Papaya has nutritional, digestive, and

(Papeeta) medicinal properties. Raw papaya
contains enzyme ‘papain’ which is used
as tenderizer for meats. Ripe papaya
aids in digestion.

Banana This is most widely used fruit. Raw

(Kela) bananas are used as vegetable while
ripe ones are used as fruits. Banana
leaves are used to serve food on and
flowers are used as vegetable.

Melon There are many varieties such as Musk

(Tarbooz, melon, Water melon, Cantaloupe and is
kharbooza) a popular summer fruit.

Peach Peaches have a high acid content

(Aaaru) and tart flavor. Many a times they are
canned in used in baked goods.

Mango India produces world famous Alphonso

(Aam) mango. It is very sweet with fibreless
pulp and rich in Vitamin A and C. Apart
from this there are many varieties
grown all over the world.

Apple There are many varieties of apples

(Seb) grown in India. The skin of apple is rich
in Vitamin A.

55
 Name Description

Pear Pears are consumed fresh, canned, as

(Nashpati) juice, and dried. This includes varieties
such asbabbugosha.

Oranges Nagpur is famous for oranges which are

(Santara) sweet and has a juicy pulp. The taste of
other varieties of oranges varies from
sour, sweet to slightly bitter.

Sweet lime ‘Citrus fruits’ i.e. oranges, lemons,

(Mausami) limes and grapefruits are a rich source
of Vitamin C which boosts our body
immunity.

Pineapple Pineapples can be consumed fresh,

(Ananas) cooked, juiced, and preserved.

Pomegranate The juice may be sweet and sour and is

(Anaar) widely consumed. The fruit is used as
garnish in many dishes.

Small fleshy These include Strawberry, Mulberry

fruits (shehtoot), Cherry, Blueberry, Grapes
(Angoor), Raspberry (Rasbhari) etc

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Use of Fruits
 Fruits can be eaten on their own as a good source of nutrition.
 They can be made into fruit salads.
 Some fruits can be used for pickling e.g. Raw mango.
 Fruits are used to prepare jams, jellies, marmalade (the ‘preserves’) and chutneys.
 Fruits are blended with milk and other ingredients to make a vast variety of shakes,
smoothies and chilled drinks.
 Fruits are widely used in flavouring and topping bakery products such as cakes, pastries,
tarts etc.
 Fruits are also pureed to prepare sauces called ‘Coulis’.

Herbs
These are leaves of certain plants that usually grow in temperate climate. They are leaves of
soft stemmed non –woody plants. Most of the herbs used in cooking possess some medicinal
value. Apart from the nutritional value, they act as antioxidants, antiseptic, fight cough and
cold, help in digestion, are anti-bacterial and support body’s immune system to maintain
health.

Some of the herbs are:

Name Use of Fruits

Coriander/ This is the most commonly used herb used in
Cilantro Indian Cookery. It is chopped or used whole to
(Dhaniya) garnish and add flavour & aroma to many North
Indian gravies and vegetables. It is also used to
flavour soups.
Mint (Pudina) This herb is refreshingly cold and used in many
dishes to add fresh aroma to dishes. It is also
used to aid digestion.

Basil (Tulsi) The holy basil has long been used in India for its
medicinal values of curing cough and cold, as
antibiotic etc. The sweet basil is popularly used
in Italian cookery to flavour various dishes.

57
Bay leaf This strongly aromatic herb is mostly used in
(Tej Patta) dried form and stored in jars. It is used to flavour
gravies, rice and in many European dishes.

Curry leaves Like holy basil, curry leaves are also grown in
(Curry patta) many kitchen gardens all across the country.
It is used in tempering and chopped in many
dishes such as sambhar, vada, curries etc.

Parsley Mostly used in European and Mediterranean

cuisines, this herb is chopped or used whole to
flavour many vegetable and meat dishes.

Oregano Used in Italian cooking to flavour many dishes

such as pizzas, pastas and sauces.

Thyme This herb is used in European cooking and is

used to flavour lamb.

Fennel A pleasant smelling herb used in European and

(Saunf) Mediterranean cooking. It is usually used to
flavour salads or chilled drinks.

Rosemary An aromatic herb from mint family, it is used

in European cuisine to flavour meats specially
lamb.

58
Spices
These are the buds, fruits, flowers, bark, seeds and roots of plants and trees which are used in
their natural / dried form to impart taste to food. Apart from this they also carry a wide range of
medicinal properties, aroma and also may impart colour to the food. Some commonly used spices in
Indian kitchen are:

Name Description and Use

Cumin seed It is used for tempering dishes. It may
(Jeera) also be roasted and powdered and used
in curd, rice etc. It may even be used to
flavour cookies.

Coriander seed It is used whole for tempering certain

(Dhania) dishes, roasted and powdered and put in
gravies.

Caraway (Ajwain) It is used in tempering and also put in

dough of Indian breads and stuffing for
flavour. It is known t aid in digestion.

Turmeric (Haldi) Most commonly used as powder than

whole, it is added to many dishes to
impart flavour, yellow colour and
antiseptic properties.

Red Chilli It is used whole or in powdered form to

(Laal Mirch) impart hot flavor to the food.

59
 Name Description and Use
Cinnamon Cinnamon is a bark and is an ingredient
(Dalchini) of Garam Masala. It has a mild pleasant
flavour used in sparing quantities in the
food. It also has astringent and antifungal
properties.

Clove (Laung) Used in Garam masala, this possesses

antibiotic and antiseptic properties. Clove
oil is used in many oral care products.

Asafoetida (Hing) This is added to many dals and vegetables

and provides a typical aroma. Apart from
this it is known to aid digestion and is an
antibiotic.

Mustard seed It is used to temper many dishes and

(Sarson) provides a characteristic taste and aroma.
It may also be made into a paste and used
in fish curries or in salads.

Nigella (Kalonji) More often used in pickles in combination

with other spices.

Fennel seed It is also used in pickles, for tempering

(Saunf) and may even be powdered to flavour
many dishes. It has a pleasant aroma.

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 Name Description and Use
Mace (Javitri) This pink dried flower is an ingredient
in Garam Masala and provides aroma. It
encircles nutmeg and is part of the same
plant.

Nutmeg (Jaiphal) It should be used in sparing quantities

mostly powdered and acts as stimulant
and astringent. In excessive quantities it
can have narcotic effect.

Fenugreek (Methi) It is used in tempering and has a slightly

bitter taste. It is known to help curing
colic, dysentery and diarrhoea.

Sesame seeds It is usually roasted and may be grinded

(Til) to be used as stuffing, or in sweets. It is
also used to produce sesame oil.

Cardamom Black cardamom is used in Garam Masala

(Elaichi) and spices up the dish. Green Cardamom
is more often used to flavour sweets.

Use of Spices
 Spices are used mainly to enhance the flavour of a dish. Usually spices are used in
combination of each other and that of main ingredient to result in a tasteful dish.
 All the spices carry some medicinal properties. If used wisely, they contribute to general
total health.
 They may also be used impart colour to food.

61
Fats & Oils
Fats and oils both are made up of three elements: Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen. These
elements combine together to form chains known as fatty acids. Three of these chains then
join together to form a molecule known as a triglyceride. The triglyceride molecule is the
basis of all oils and fats. However, oils containing a greater proportion of unsaturated fatty
acids are liquid at room temperature i.e. Oils (sunflower oil, rice bran oil etc.) whereas those
with higher amounts of saturated fatty acids will be solid i.e. Fats (Butter, Margarine, Desighee
etc.)

Several edible vegetable and animal fats and

oils are used for various purposes in cooking
and food preparation. The production process
of vegetable oil involves the removal of oil
from plant components, typically seeds. This
can be done via mechanical extraction termed
“crushing” or “pressing.” The processing of
vegetable oil in commercial applications is commonly done by chemical extraction, using
solvent extracts, which produces higher yields and is quicker and less expensive. The
extracted oil is then purified, refined or chemically altered.

Some of the common oils extracted from plants and used in cooking are:

a) Mustard Oil : This oil has a distinctive pungent taste, characteristic of all plants in the
mustard family. It is traditionally used in many parts of India for cooking. The oil makes
up about 30% of the mustard seeds. It can be produced from black mustard, brown
mustard and white mustard.
b) Coconut Oil : Coconut oil or
Copra oil is an edible oil extracted GROUNDNUT
soyabean
oil
sunflower
oil
mustard
oil
Oil
from the kernel or meat of
matured coconuts harvested
from the coconut palm. It has
various applications in food,
medicine, and industry. Because of its high saturated fat content it is slow to oxidize
and, thus, resistant to rancidity.
c) Cottonseed Oil : Cotton seed has a similar structure to other oilseeds such as sunflower
seed, having an oil-bearing kernel surrounded by a hard outer hull; in processing, the
oil is extracted from the kernel. Cottonseed oil is used for salad oil, mayonnaise, salad
dressing, and similar products because of its flavour stability.
d) Groundnut Oil : It is often used in Chinese, South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine.
Groundnut oil has a high smoke point relative to many other cooking oils, so is commonly
used for frying foods.

62
e) Soybean Oil : Soybean oil is mostly used for frying and baking. It is also used as a
condiment for salads.
f) Sunflower Oil : It is the non-volatile oil compressed from sunflower seeds. Sunflower
oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations.
g) Olive Oil : Olive oil is a fat obtained from the olive a traditional tree crop of the
Mediterranean region. The oil is produced by pressing whole olives and is commonly
used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps, and as a fuel for traditional oil
lamps.
h) Rice Bran Oil - Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice
after rice husk is removed. It is notable for its high smoke point of (232 °C) and its mild
flavour, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying
and deep frying. It is popular as a cooking oil in several Asian countries.

Use of Fats & Oils

 Both fats and oils are used as cooking medium – for tempering, frying, sautéing etc.
While cooking they also impart flavour and aroma to the food.
 Oils are used in preparing dressings of the salads.
 Oils and Fats are also added to dough as shortenings. They coat the gluten proteins of
flour and prevent toughness of product. The product is crumby and soft. E.g. little oil
added to poori dough to make it crumby and soft. Similarly fats and oils are used in
bakery products too.
 Some vegetable fats are used as spreads in sandwiches e.g. peanut butter.

Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which
are used in food. Sugars are found in the tissues of most plants. There are various types of
sugar derived from different sources. Most sugars are extracted from sugarcane and sugar
beet. The juice of sugarcane or beet is collected, heated, purified, filtered and crystallized.
This is the most common form of sugar we see and use at home.

However, there are various forms of sugars used in cookery. Some of them are:

 Granulated Sugars are used to prepare any sweet dishes. They are added to kheer, rabri,
custard etc. Sugar in large quantities are also used as a preservative to prevent micro-

63
 organisms from growing and perishable food from spoiling as in jams, marmalades,
and candied fruits. Sugar is also used in baking as a food for yeast to grow and ferment
bread doughs. In addition it gives the crust brown colour in cakes and breads.

 Milled Sugars (known as powdered sugar and confectioner’s sugar) are ground to a
fine powder. They are used as icing sugar in cakes, icings, or even for decoration on
sweet products. They dissolve quickly in cake mixes and other products.

 Brown Sugars are granulated sugars with the grains coated in molasses (remaining
sugarcane syrup after production of sugar) to produce a light, dark, or demerara sugar.
They are used in baked goods, confectionery, and toffees.

 Sugar Cubes are white or brown granulated sugars lightly steamed and pressed
together in block shape. They are used to sweeten drinks.

64
 Caster Sugars is the fine granulated sugar. Because caster sugar crystals are so fine,
they dissolve very quickly, so are useful in meringues, custards, and mousses, and for
sweetening cold drinks or cocktails. Caster sugar is also used in baking.
 Liquid Sugars are strong syrups consisting of 67% granulated sugar dissolved in water.
They are used in the food processing of a wide range of products including beverages,
ice cream, jams, and hard candy.
 A sugar substitute is a food additive that provides a sweettaste like that of sugar while
containing significantly less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some
are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, called artificial sweeteners.

8.2 Animal Origin

Meat
Meat is a general term for various animal flesh eaten as food. It is mostly composed of
proteins and fat. It is very important to maintain hygiene during rearing of the animal, while
butchering and also while cooking the meat. Various state laws control the butchering and
selling of animals.

Meat can be classified as:

a) Game is meat which comes from wild animals and birds that are hunted for food or
sport. Game is generally classified as either feathered or furred.
 Furred Game : This includes animals like Deer, Goat, Hare, Rabbit, Wild pig etc.
 Feathered Game : This includes feathered birds like Pigeon, Quail, Wild goose,
Pheasant, Guinea fowl, Partridge etc.
b) Poultry is a general name applied to a range of fowl domestically bred for human
consumption. The poultry family generally includes chicken, turkey, duck and geese.

Use of Meat
 Meats are cooked along with spices, herbs and
vegetables to prepare a dish complete in nutrition.
 Meats are also preserved and eaten as ham, bacon,
sausages etc.
 They have a wide usage where they can be used to
make salads, main dish, snacks in every cuisine in
the world.

Seafood
This is the general term for all types of fish. There are three basic categories of seafood: fish,
shellfish and invertebrates.

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a) Fish can be divided into various sub-categories according to habitat, shape and flesh-
type.  According to habitat fish is divided into two categories:
 Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such
as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less
than 0.05%. e.g. Trout, Carp, Cod, Eel etc.
 Saltwater fish are those that spend their
lives in saline sea water. E.g. Herring,
Snapper, Mackerel etc.
b) Shellfish: The main difference between fish and
shellfish is their skeleton. Shellfish have an external skeleton or shell. There are two
main categories of shellfish:
 Crustaceans : They have a segmented body, a chitinous Oysters
Mussels

exoskeleton and paired jointed limbs e.g. Crabs, Clams

Crayfish, Prawns, Scampi etc.

 Molluscs : They have a soft un-segmented body with
a calcareous shell e.g. Clams, Oysters, Snails, Scallops,
Mussels etc.
c) Invertebrates: Invertebrates are spineless marine animals with no outer shell. They
include the squid and octopus family.

Use
Fish is a very good source of proteins and is easy to digest. It
also contains some amount of fat, minerals, vitamins and trace
elements. This is the reason why fish is
cooked in variety of ways such as frying,
baking, grilling, poaching etc. to make
numerous varieties of dishes and snacks.
In coastal regions many curries are made with fish and coconut. River
water fish are also popularly used in households in various curries or
simply batter fried to prepare pakodas.

Egg
Bird eggs are a common food and one of the most versatile ingredients
used in cooking. Eggs are a complete source of proteins specially
essential amino acids. It also contains vitamins and minerals in
significant quantities.

The most commonly used bird eggs are those from the chicken. Other varieties of eggs used
in cooking are duck,goose or even quail eggs.

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It is interesting to note that even fish eggs are used in both Indian and World cuisine. Fish
lays thousands of tiny eggs in a jelly like form called Roe. Roe of Sturgeon fish is popularly
eaten as ‘Caviar’ which is an expensive commodity. In India too fish eggs are used to prepare
snacks and curries in coastal areas.

Use of Egg
 Eggs are cooked on their own in a variety of ways as breakfast – poached, fried,
scrambled, omelettes, boiled etc.
 Eggs are a popular ingredient in baking in cakes, cookies and desserts such as crème
caramel or mousse.
 Eggs are used to make sauces Mayonnaise and Hollandaise.
 Eggs are uses as binding agents in various mixtures.
 Eggs are also used to coat ingredients to give them a crispy texture.

Milk
Milk is an emulsion of fat globules within a water-based fluid that
contains dissolved carbohydrates and protein aggregates with minerals.
It also contains sugar Lactose. Cow is reared specially in many countries
on cattle farms to produce milk. Apart from this many other kind of
livestock are reared to provide milk. This includes buffalo, goat, sheep,
camel, donkey, horse, reindeer and yak.
Most of the milk we get packaged from market is either cow or buffalo milk.
To increase shelf life of milk it is often pasteurized. Pasteurization is a
process in which milk is heated to at least 63°C for 30 minutes OR 71.5°C
for 15 seconds (HTST - High temperature Short Time) so that harmful
microorganisms are killed. It is then refrigerated. Whether pasteurized or
not, the dairies print expiry dates on each container or packet after which it
should be discarded.
Milk may also be homogenized. This is a treatment that prevents a cream layer from
separating out of the milk. The milk is pumped at high pressures through very narrow tubes,
breaking up the fat globules through turbulence. A greater number of smaller particles
possess more total surface area than a smaller number of larger ones, and the original fat
globule membranes cannot completely cover them. Homogenized milk tastes blander but
feels creamier in the mouth than un-homogenized milk. It is whiter and more resistant to
developing off flavours.

Varieties of Milk
 Full Cream Milk : The milk which has minimum milk fat 6% and minimum milk solids
(not fat) 9%

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 Toned Milk : The milk which has minimum milk fat 3 % and minimum milk solids (not
fat) 8.5%
 Double Toned : The milk which has minimum milk fat 1.5% and minimum milk solids
(not fat) 9%
 Skimmed Milk : The milk which has milk fat not more than .5% and minimum milk
solids (not fat) 8.7%.
 Condensed Milk : Condensed milk is milk from which water has been removed. It is
most often found in the form of sweetened condensed milk (SCM), with sugar added.
Sweetened condensed milk is a very thick, sweet product which is canned.
 Milk Powder : Powdered milk or dried milk is a manufactured dairy product made by
evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder
has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated, due to
its low moisture content.
 Fermented Milk : Fermented milk products, also known as cultured milk products,
are dairy foods that have been fermented with lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus,
Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc. The fermentation process increases the shelf-life of the
product, while enhancing the taste and improving the digestibility of milk.

Milk Products
Milk is used to make lot of products:

a) Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-butterfat

layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization.
In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, will
eventually rise to the top. In the industrial production of
cream, this process is accelerated by using centrifuges
called “separators”. It is of many types such as single cream,
double cream, sour cream, clotted cream etc.
b) Butter is a dairy product made by churning cream, to
separate the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is generally used as a spread and a
condiment, as well as in cooking, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying.
c) Curds are a dairy product obtained by introducing bacteria which consumes natural
milk sugars and excretes lactic acid. This causes the milk proteins to curdle and create a
sold mass. Little curd from previous batch is added as a starter as it contains necessary
live bacteria.
d) Cheese is a food derived from milk that is produced in a wide range of flavors, textures,
and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. During production, the milk is
usually acidified, and adding the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are
separated and pressed into final form.

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e) Ghee is prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from cream, and removing the
liquid residue. Spices can be added for flavor. The texture, color, and taste of ghee depend
on the quality of the butter, source of the milk used in the process and the duration of
the boiling.
f) Chhena: It is fresh cheese made from cow milk. A crumbly and moist form of farmers
cheese or paneer, it is used to make desserts such as rasgulla.
g) Khoya is a dairy product widely used in making sweets milk thickened by heating in an
open iron pan.
h) Paneer is a fresh cheese common in Indian cuisine. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting
farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice, vinegar, or any other
food acids.

Use of Milk Products

 Milk is a popular ingredient in daily diet in the form of milk itself or added to tea, coffee
and cereals.
 It is used to prepare sweets such as kheer, rabri, rasmalai, custard, ice-cream etc.
 It is used to prepare numerous products used in cookery such as Butter, Ghee, Buttermilk,
Curd, Cheese, Chenna etc.
 It is often used in bakery for adding nutrients, moisture and fat to the product.
 It is used in preparing sauces such as Béchamel in European cookery.
 Milk is used to prepare chilled shakes and smoothies along with fruits and other
ingredients.

Animal Fats
Many fats derived from animal tissues are used in cooking. Example:
 Lard – Fat obtained from pig.
 Suet – Fat obtained from mutton or beef.
 Poultry fat
This is added in European cuisines to cook meats, in
preparing sausages, added as a shortening to pastry
to give it a crumby texture etc.

In India animal fats are used in many minced meat preparations such as kebabs.

Salt
Salt does not contain any carbohydrates, proteins or vitamins but is essential
in itself to life. Salt is the most common kitchen commodity. Technically table
salt is a mineral primarily sodium chloride and is an essential ingredient
of food.

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Salt can be obtained from:

 Rocks: Vast sedimentary deposits which

have been laid down over the millennia from
the evaporation of seas and lakes. These are
either mined directly, producing rock salt, or
are extracted in solution by pumping water
into the deposit
 Brine (Salty water such as in Oceans): Produced by drying of seawater in shallow
ponds.

Types of salt used in cooking

There is a huge variety of salts available in market. However,
common ones are -
 Table salt (Namak): Salt is refined to purify it and improve
its storage and handling characteristics. The natural salt is
usually fortified. To prevent lump formation or caking of
salt, chemical agents are added in small quantities to make it ‘free flowing’. Iodine is
usually added to prevent its deficiency causing Goitre or mental retardation. Salt may
also be fortified with iron to prevent anemia. In some salts, even
fluoride is added which prevents dental caries.
 Black salt (Kala Namak): It is actually a pinkish-grey color. It
has a strong sulphuric smell. Black salt is more hygroscopic than
common salt and tends to absorb moisture pretty fast. Store it
away from moisture and keeping the cap of the bottle or jar tightly
closed. Black salt is used in preparing snacks, chaats, chutneys,
raitas and is used as a flavouring for many fried snacks, by sprinkling it as a topping. It
is sprinkled on fruits too.
 Rock salt (Sendha Namak): Rock salt is obtained from the rock, mountains and from
the vast beds of dried up ancient lakes and seas. These beds may be hundreds of metres
deep. Rock salt is normally colourless to yellow in colour but may also be in various
hues of blue and pink, depending on the impurities in it. This salt is mostly used in
preparing food during fasting.

Use of Salt
 Salt is required to give taste to a dish.
 It is added to breads in small quantities to control fermentation and helps in production
of breads.
 Salt added to water makes the water boil at a higher temperature, thus reducing cooking
time.

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 Salt is also used as a preservative e.g. in pickles, hams etc.
 It is also used as a cleaning agent because of its abrasive texture and ability to remove
greasy or oily stuff from pans.
 Salt also has some medicinal qualities such as it helps in reliving tired feet or removing
puffiness. Sodium is essential for nerve transmissions and pH balance.

Summary
The commodities used in kitchen can be classified according to their origin as the
ones originating from plants (such as pulses, cereals, fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs
and oils), animals (such as milk and milk products, meats, seafood, eggs, animal fats)
and others (such as salt). There is a vast variety of these commodities that are used
in the world in cooking. All are important sources of some nutrients and minerals
for healthy life. Each ingredient is used in a variety of ways in cooking e.g. a fruit
can be made into jam or jelly, eaten on its own or made into a sweet or shake. Thus
each ingredient is unique and a chef must be able to identify the ingredient, know the
varieties available and then suitably use them to prepare food.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. List commodities obtained from Plants and Animals.
2. What are the major nutrients obtained from various commodities obtained from
plants?
3. Classify Seafood and give examples of each category.
4. What is pasteurization?
5. What is homogenization?
6. Differentiate between Herbs and Spices.
7. List the uses of fruits in cookery.
8. Pulses and Cereals form a major part of our diet. Explain their role in our food.
9. What are different types of meats?

II. Fill in the blanks:

1. Granulated sugar coated with molasses is called ...................... .
2. Oils and Fats are also known as ...................... in kitchen as they make the product
soft and crumby.
3. Salt added to water makes it boil at ...................... thus ...................... cooking time.
4. Fish eggs are a delicate commodity and roe of sturgeon fish is called ...................... .

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 5. ...................... with higher amount of saturated fatty acids are solid at room
temperature and ...................... with unsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room
temperature.
6. ...................... contains enzyme papain used as a meat tenderizer.
7. ...................... Fruits are a group of fruits which are sour and have a high content of
Vitamin C.
8. Semolina (sooji) and Porridge (Dalia) are made from……………..
9. ...................... can be sprouted and used in salads.
10. ...................... is a protein found in wheat essential for bread making.

III. Discuss in class:

To understand the nature, taste and cooking of ingredient is important for a chef. Also, each
ingredient comes in various varieties that differ from each other. Take an example of rice and
explore the varieties available in India. Discuss how the usage differs with varieties.

Practical
1. List commodities commonly available in your kitchen at home and classify them.
Write their uses.

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Unit

9
Storage of Commodities

Objective
1. Importance of correct storage of commodities.
2. Meaning of perishability of an ingredient.
3. Shelf life of a commodity.
4. Qualities of a good store.
5. Storage of various kitchen commodities such as dry ingredients, vegetables and
fruits, milk, eggs, meats & seafood, frozen food, fats and oils, canned and bottled
products.

9.1 Perishability of a Product

A large number and variety of ingredients are used to prepare
food. The kitchen commodities vary from dry ingredients
like sugar, flour, rice etc. to fresh vegetables and fruits. They
also include canned or bottled products, meats, seafood, milk
and milk products etc. All these food ingredients should be of
required quality to get healthy, safe and tasty meal.

Importance of Correct Storage

 Each ingredient is bought for a price. In hotel business, a large amount of money is
involved in purchasing kitchen commodities. It is important that this money is used
wisely and not wasted. The cost of all the ingredients used in preparing a dish is called
its Food Cost. In case of wastages, spoilages or pilferages, the ingredient lost is money
lost.
 All kitchen commodities are Perishable i.e. they are spoiled or get unfit for human
consumption after some period of time. The time during which the ingredient can be
stored and used safely is called Shelf Life of a product.
 Quality of ingredients is an important criteria to determine quality of the dish prepared
using these ingredients.
All the ingredients cannot be procured from market immediately as and when they are
required by chef. Therefore some quantity of ingredients is always bought in advance

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and stored in kitchen or general store. Thus it becomes important for a chef to correctly
understand the storage requirements of various commodities.

Perishability of a product- Food stuffs that are subject to decay or spoilage are called
perishable products. Hence, with time and storage conditions, quality of all the food
ingredients deteriorate. If such ingredients are used in cooking, they may cause diseases and
may not taste well.

Shelf life of an ingredient is the length of time for which a commodity may be stored in required
conditions (temperature, humidity etc.) without becoming unfit for use, consumption or sale.

9.2 Techniques of Storage

There is no exact method to determine how long a food will maintain quality and be safe to
eat, because many conditions affect quality. The storage life of foods is affected by the:

 Freshness of the food when it reached the hotel from the supplier.
 Length of time and the temperature at which it was held before purchase.
 Temperature of food storage areas.
 Humidity level in food storage areas.
 Type of storage container or packaging the food is stored in.
 Characteristics of the food item.

Qualities of a Good Store

 A store should be at a location easily accessible from receiving area as well as by kitchen
department.
 Good ventilation, air circulation and sufficient lighting. It is important to have a suitable
humidity control system in place as dry store such as cereals, pulses, flours etc
 Hygienic and free of pests such as flies, rats, cockroaches etc.
 Safe and with sufficient racks to store ingredients. Leaving sacks or packages on floor
makes them more vulnerable to infestation by pests and makes the store untidy.
 Provision of deep freezers and refrigerators to suitably store kitchen commodities.
 An effective store keeping system to ensure FIFO system (First in First out). This system
ensures that the material received first is issued first and thus used first.
 Clear labelling of ‘best before’ or ‘expiry’ dates. These should be strictly followed and
ingredients must be disposed of after ‘best before’ dates.
 Regular cleaning schedule is followed.

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Storage of Kitchen Commodities
Foods can be classified into various groups for the purpose of storage:
a) Dry Ingredients : Like cereals, pulses, sugar, flours,
dry fruits, salt, spices and condiments – These should
be stored in a food grade air-tight container or if pre-
packed then sealed properly. They should be stored in
dry (low humidity) area at room temperature. Many
products may be in vacuum sealed packing, hence
should be kept safe. However, prolonged storage
makes them prone to infestation, loss of flavor and aroma in case of dry herbs and spices
etc.
b) Eggs, Milk and Milk Products : Dairy products are those
commodities, which are derived from or based upon milk, and
include creams, yoghurts, butter, cheese and ice cream. Eggs,
milk and milk products should be stored in the refrigerator
at a temperature between 3 to 4°C. Cream, yoghurts, butter,
cheese and eggs should also be stored at between 3 to 4°C. The
shelf life of these products will vary depending on their method
of manufacturing, and chef should check individual ‘use by’ dates on the packaging.
All dairy products need to be kept well sealed when in storage and away from strong
smelling ingredients otherwise they will absorb flavor and aroma from strong smelling
foods around them.
c) Vegetables, Fresh Herbs & Fruits : Many vegetables need not be refrigerated and are
good in dry room temperature conditions for a reasonable length of time. Depending on
type of vegetable, they are stored as follows:
 Cool and Dry : Onion, Potatoes, Garlic, Bananas, Pineapples
etc. They should be stored at about 18°C with good air
circulation around them.
 Cool and Moist : Most vegetables and fruits as well as fresh
herbs are stored in refrigerators. They are stored at about
5°C.
 Warm and Dry : Pumpkin, sweet potatoes, dried hot peppers.
d) Meats : Fresh meat and poultry should be stored between 1 and
3°C. All meat and poultry should be stored on clean trays
and covered with plastic wrap. Raw and cooked food should
never be stored on the same tray. Meats are also cut, vacuum
sealed and labeled in butchery and stored frozen at about
-18°C in deep freezers.

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e) Seafood : Has a very short shelf life and must be stored with
extra care. It should be stored at 1°C. Seafood should be wrapped
in plastic film and stored in the coldest part of the cool room on
a bed of crushed ice. It may also be vacuum sealed, labeled and
stored frozen at -18°C in deep freezers.
f) Frozen Products such as ice-creams : Ice-creams should be stored at about -18°C in
deep freezers away from strong smelling ingredients. Similarly frozen vegetables or
ready to eat items should also be kept in deep freezers.
g) Canned or Bottled Products : Many ingredients
purchased are packed in cans or bottles such as tomato
ketchup, tomato puree, pickles, pineapple tins, sauces etc.
These products are labeled as per storage requirements.
They should be stored as per manufacturer’s instructions
– may be in a cool dry room, away from sunlight etc. Any
leaky or puffed cans or ones with some mould growth should be immediately discarded.
h) Fats and Oils : All oils should be sealed in airtight containers to prevent oxidation. They
should be stored in a cool, dark place and not exposed to heat and sunlight. Most fats
such as lard, butter, margarine should be refrigerated.
Thus proper food storage helps maintain food quality by retaining flavour, colour, texture and
nutrients, while reducing the chance of contracting a food-borne illness.

Summary
All the commodities used in kitchen are procured from market by paying a price
which is an investment from business point of view. At the same time, they all become
unfit for consumption after some time i.e. they are perishable. Hence they should be
stored correctly to keep them in usable condition for a maximum period of time. Some
commodities like dry ration – pulses, cereals, flours require dry and room temperature
conditions while some others like milk, butter, curd, cheese etc and many vegetables
and fruits require cooler temperatures. Meats, ice-creams etc need to be kept frozen.
Correct storage is important to maintain the quality of ingredient from purchase to
actual use.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. What are the salient features of a good store?
2. What do you understand by ‘Perishability’ of a product?
3. What is food cost?
4. What are the factors that determine storage life of a product?

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II. How should one store the following commodities?

Commodity Storage

Banana

Margarine

Whole black gram

Turmeric powder

Milk

Fish

Tomato

Ice-cream

Sugar

Curd

III. Discuss in class:

Discuss the importance of correct storage of various commodities. Also, take any packaged
commodity and discuss relevance of ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ dates.

Practical
1. Take different types of commodities such as any pulse, potato, butter, tomato,
salt and sugar etc. Keep little at room temperature. Note observations. Can these
commodities be stored differently for longer shelf life? Also, explain how they
should be stored to keep away from common pests such as flies, mosquitoes,
cockroaches, rats, ants etc.

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Unit

10
Kitchen Organization

Objectives
1. Defining Kitchen organization structure.
2. Understanding factors affecting organization structure.
3. Hierarchy in kitchen.
4. Duties and responsibilities associated with job positions.

10.1 Kitchen Organization

The structural hierarchy of a kitchen is known as Kitchen organization. Hierarchy refers to
the flow of authority from top to bottom in an organization and with respect to the kitchen,
it refers to the flow of authority commencing from executive chef and goes to the bottom i.e.
Kitchen helpers.

The number of positions and also the number of employees

at each position differ from hotel to hotel depending on
following factors:

 The variety of dishes that are offered on the menu.

 Number of people expected to be dining in the
restaurant.
 Use of convenience foods – e.g. Readymade burger patties which need to only be deep
fried not prepared.
 Types of equipment available - the level of automation – e.g. if there is a machine such
as a commercial food processor for cutting and chopping, less number of people are
required to do the job.
 Need of skill involved at the various levels – specialization jobs e.g. a cook trained to
work on tandoor.
The kitchen is divided into various sub-sections and each section contributes in preparation
of food.

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Hierarchy in Kitchen
Executive Chef

Under Chef or Sous Chef

Section Chefs (Chef de Partie or CDP)

Assistant Cooks

Trainees

The Executive Chef is the head of the kitchen department. He has a Sous Chef or Under Chef
who assists him in his work and looks after everyday operations directly. The kitchen is
divided into various sections and each section has a section head called CDP. The number
of CDPs in each hotel varies depending on the need of the organisation. Each CDP has some
assistant cooks to work under him. The asssistant cooks are further divided according to
seniority and experience on Commis I, Commis II and Commis III. Number of commis in a
kitchen is dependant on the amount of work. Lastly there are trainees who are still learning
skills to take up a career in food production department.

10.2 Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Chef
The Executive Chef is a manager who is responsible for all the aspects of food production,
including:

 An overall in-charge of the department and is responsible for quality of food prepared
in the kitchen.
 Responsible for developing menus for new restaurant or updating old menus.
 Responsible for keeping a track on food costs and controlling them so that profit can be
maximized without compensating the standard quality.
 Ensures proper and timely availability of raw materials required in liaison with
purchasing department.
 Plays a significant role in selection of new staff and training them according to the
hotel’s standard procedures.
 Ensures that hygiene and safety practices are followed by all the employees in kitchen.

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 Coordination with all other departments of the hotel to ensure smooth workflow and
guest satisfaction.
 A team leader with positive attitude and managing the entire workforce effectively to
the organization goal.

Sous Chef / Underchef

 The direct in-charge of production operations and work as
second in command to the executive chef whose job is more
administrative in nature.
 Responsible for following of standard recipes, presentations
and procedures in kitchen.
 Train Staff on improved work procedures, quality food
production, economical usage of food material s and the
attractive presentation of Food items.
 Account for the usage, consumption, spoilage and control of food stuff produced or
stored under his supervision.
 Look after the function of the executive chef during his/her Absence.

Chef De Partie / Section Chef

 In-charge of a section of kitchen e.g. Bakery, Indian kitchen, Chinese kitchen, Larder
(cold kitchen) etc.
 Directly responsible for overall working of their section and coordination with other
sections of the kitchen.
 Maintain food costs of their department – reducing wastages.
 Indenting (preparing a list of ingredients required the next day or in near future) for
their department on daily basis.
 Preparing duty roasters of the staff in their section and managing leaves.
 Maintaining hygiene and safety in their departments.
 Following standard procedures and presentations.

Assistant Cooks
Usually there are three levels termed as Commis I, Commis II and Commis III. They are
deputed in a department and deal with carrying ingredients from stores, pre-preparations
(cutting, chopping etc.), storing raw materials properly and helping the section chef in
preparing and presentation of the dishes.

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Trainees
These are usually either new staff learning work or even students studying hotel management
and willing to take up career in hotels.

Thus the kitchen team works together to bring the hygienic and delicious meals for the hotel
guest.

Summary
Organisational structure helps to clearly defines duties and responsibilities of each
person in the organization. In hotel kitchen it moves from the overall in charge
‘Executive Chef’, the ‘Sous Chef’ and then various section heads depending on how
many sections are there. Each section head further has a team of assistants to work in
their sections. The hotels also have some trainees - the young aspirants who wish to
learn the skill and be part of the hotel industry.

I. Review Questions
Answer the following :
1. With the help of a flow chart, explain the hierarchy levels in hotel kitchen?
2. What are the factors that affect the number of employees at each level in kitchen
organization?
3. What are the duties and responsibilities of Executive Chef?

II. Discuss in class

Discuss the importance of having a hierarchy in an organization. How does it improve
the workflow?

Practical
1. Draw the organization chart of a food production department of a hotel and list
the duties and responsibilities of each hierarchical level.

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