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There are a few universal things people need in order to survive in fantasy worlds. One of them, food, is the most vital since people need to eat so that they can grow and flourish. While food comes in many forms, there are some professions that specialize in taking it to a whole new level and that would be the fantasy chef.
The fictional chef does exactly the same thing as its real-world counterpart: prepare all kinds of food using a variety of ingredients both local and from other places. The beauty of featuring a chef in a fantasy world is that he can develop dishes using things that only exist in that world and not just anyone can be one. There’s a lot that goes into coming up with who ought to be one.
Training to be a fantasy chef isn’t as simple as you think it is. For instance, there are no culinary institutions where all aspiring chefs can attend classes and work with many different kinds of food, meaning they must seek alternative avenues in realizing that dream. Surprisingly, there are a number of ways to become a chef.
What is the chef’s contribution to the world? Since his entire carer revolves around working with food, he prepares dishes that are enjoyed by people. The food he creates brings different people together, enabling them to develop a relationship with people they otherwise wouldn’t have crossed paths with, helping to make the world a better place, or at least create a place where people can simply enjoy fine cuisine.
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Being a chef isn’t for everyone. There are certain requirements that must be fulfilled should someone be pondering whether to pursue this career. Not having any of them means that person should elicit to look elsewhere, for if he continues to pursue it, he will wind up despising it and that sentiment will spill over into the food he prepares for his customers.
The first essential in being a fantasy chef is the simplest: he must enjoy working with food. That is, he must have the knack of making tasty dishes using whatever ingredients he has at his disposal. This allows him to exercise his creativity in developing ingenious dishes using an unusual combinations of ingredients. Furthermore, he must also be interested in experimenting with various types of food to come up with all kinds of new recipes.
Secondly, he must be willing to be flexible. There’ll be times when things go awry, whether it be receiving the wrong ingredients or accidentally using the wrong combination of ingredients in preparing a dish. The aspiring chef must endeavor to make use of what he has at the time and work to make the best of it. People who are too rigid or too much of a perfectionist might prefer to go in another direction since working with food can be chaotic at times.
Thirdly, the fantasy chef has to learn how to juggle many different things at the same time. It could be trying to make many different dishes for as many customers while ensuring that the restaurant or food establishment has adequate supplies on hand to deal with the rush. Additionally, he interacts with other chefs, waiters, and sometimes even the customers. There’s a lot that goes into in this particular profession and people who are not suited to this ought to look elsewhere.
Time management is key to success for a chef. Customers expect their food to arrive in a timely manner. While the majority are willing to be more understanding when it is busy, they do not want to wait two hours for their meal. The chef must work to get the food out as fast as he can while ensuring that it remains delicious. Thus, being well versed in the art of cooking and doing so in a speedy manner is vital and those who don’t have this knack ought to go into a different field.
While the chef might not be a major character in a fantasy story, he still ought to at least be proficient in his career. By that, he needs to know what he’s doing so that he can prepare a dish that the protagonist or another major character winds up enjoying. One thing the genre is known for is for its impressive selection of food that is exclusive to the world it’s in.
However, there is a problem for all would-be aspiring chefs, depending on what exists in the world at that time. Not many worlds feature culinary institutions where they can learn everything there is to know about the fine art of cuisine. This leaves them with no other choice but to find alternative options.
One way for a fantasy chef to become skilled in this field is to seek out an expert chef and train under him/her. He has to demonstrate to the expert that he has what it takes so that the chef can take him under his wing and teach him everything he needs to know. This is not something that lasts weeks, it can take months, maybe years for the aspirant to become top-tier.
Another route someone interested in becoming a chef would be to simply learn how to do it himself. While he won’t receive professional training, he’ll learn the basics before moving onto more advanced areas which come with food harder to get just right. Doing this indicates that he has initiative which is always a plus as well as an innate curiosity about food and how to make the best he can using what he has lying around.
Cooking is a family tradition, something that brings the members of a family together. Parents whip up savory meals using whatever they have and aspiring chefs learn everything they know about cooking from them. It is as if they are following in their parents’ footsteps by learning how to cook, something that they wish to continue in adulthood.
Where does the chef fit in in terms of the context of the world? The obvious answer is that he makes food that people enjoy but it is more than that. You see, he is but a connoisseur of food and he uses that knowledge to make something that brings a smile to people’s faces, leading to them having a better day.
In his mind, he is an artist, taking an assortment of different ingredients and putting it all together to create a scrumptious meal unlike any other. He chooses from a selection of ingredients that he himself personally put together to create a piece of art that is simply stunning and yummy at the same time. His customers cannot wait to see the latest dish from a food maestro.
A good fantasy chef uses food to bring people together. Through what he makes, he manages to have people from all walks of life come together to enjoy his food. This enables them to forge a bond with their fellow man that they otherwise wouldn’t have since they never crossed paths before now. This bond helps link people together, helping to make the world just a little better.
The chef is also an avid teacher from his travels and the various foods he’s sampled through his journeys. He uses his knowledge of these foods to make dishes from other regions, giving people a chance to taste food from different parts of the world. This enables them to see what food people in other areas eat and in some cases, serves as the spark that encourages them to go abroad to experience them in their native lands.
The fantasy chef makes food based on his experiences, giving people a glimpse into his soul and how he perceives things. For one who’s had a happy life, his food tend to be more cheerful as opposed to one who had a difficult upbringing leading to his making more somber meals. This helps them form a connection with him, making them likely to be repeat customers — especially if they enjoy his food — and want to spread the word about his fantastic dishes.
The chef is a master of food and he uses his skills to prepare divine recipes using ingredients that he himself chose. Through his experiments, he’s created a series of recipes that speak to his ability to create dishes that are outstanding in quality. He isn’t one to rest on his laurels, he’s constantly searching for new ideas and ingredients in which to incorporate into his existing recipes or make new ones.
There are certain individuals who are perfect candidates for this profession. For instance, they must love working with food and are interested in using the same one in various ways. Additionally, they must also be willing to be flexible since they have many things to juggle at the same time.
Being a fantasy chef doesn’t happen overnight. It takes months, maybe years, to become an excellent chef whether it be training with a master one or doing it yourself. Perseverance is instrumental in becoming a chef since there are many types of food he must learn to work with, each one coming with its own challenges.
The chef’s purpose isn’t to just feed the world, it’s to bring different people together. His tasty creations draw fans, people who have never crossed paths beforehand, giving them an opportunity to form a relationship over their common interest in his food. Because of this, the world is a bit brighter.
Though the fantasy chef might not necessarily play a role in the story, he plays one in terms of worldbuilding. How else is the food your characters throughout the plot made? This is one reason why bringing the chef into your world is a stellar idea!
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