Every profession and sector has its firsts. The world's first famous chef is French Marie Antonin Careme. The reason why cooks wear white is also because of Câreme. He took the uniforms of the officers in the French army, had them sewn in white, and used them as uniforms in his kitchen.
In world history, every profession and field has its founders and historical figures who shape these fields. We can give three great examples of French chefs who form the basis of modern gastronomy and culinary understanding. These cooks are Marie Antoine Cârame, Auguste Escoffier, and Paul Bocuse, respectively.
The subject of this article will be Marie Antoine Câreme, the founder of Grand Cuisine, in other words, Haute Cuisine (meaning industrial, refined, high-end gourmet, and luxury hotel kitchens).
Marie-Antoine Carême (8 June 1783 or 1784 – 12 January 1833), known as Antonin Carême, was a leading French chef of the early 19th century.
Câreme was born in Paris in 1784, during the height of the French Revolution. When he was eight years old, he started working at a chophouse, a small restaurant in today's usage, in exchange for room and board. Then, in 1798, he began working as an apprentice to Sylvain Bailly, one of the most famous pastry chefs of the period. With the help of his chef, he learned to read and write and began to work in fields other than cooking. Câreme had a special interest in architecture, he studied architecture in libraries for a long time in his youth, and in the later periods of his life, he used the methods he learned from architecture abundantly in his cakes.
Following his apprenticeship, he worked for French diplomat and gourmet Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, and later created special cakes for Parisian society, including Napoleon. Under Talleyrand's influence, Câreme opened his own restaurant and prepared menus for a year in his kitchen. He tried to ensure that this menu was not repetitive in any way and that the dishes were seasonal dishes. The restaurant became very successful and its fame began to spread throughout Europe.
After Napoleon's defeat, Câreme went to London and cooked meals for King George IV there. Afterward, upon the invitation of Tsar Alexander I, he went to Russia and produced special plates for the tsar. After this European tour, he returned to Paris and served as the conductor of the famous banker James Mayer Rothschild.
Câreme died at the very early age of 48 at his home on Rue Neuve Saint Roche in Paris. The cause of death was thought to be toxic poisoning caused by burning coal for cooking for long periods of time. He was known as the founder of Haute Cuisine and was buried in the Montmartre cemetery in Paris.
One of the biggest reasons why Câreme is such a famous chef is the innovations and inventions he brought to the kitchen. To give an example: The piping bags and the nail tip we use today are the work of Câreme. It is Câreme's invention that made the souffle recipe used today modernly. The reason why cooks wear white is also because of Câreme. He took the uniforms of the officers in the French army, had them sewn in white, and used them as uniforms in his kitchen. White symbolizes the cook's cleanliness and hygiene. Two professions in the world wear white: One is a cook, the other is a doctor, and both of them represent cleanliness. During his time, he created the four main sauces of French Cuisine: Veloute, Bechamel, Espagnole, and Allemande. During the Escoffier period, the fifth sauce, Hollandaise, was added to these sauces, and Allemande was replaced by Tomato.
During his time, Câreme systematized cooking and made it respectable. Thanks to him, world gastronomy has entered its modern era. Every chef candidate needs to know his name and learn about his life. We cannot thank Câreme enough for this cuisine he left us as a foundation.