Learn chef talk before the interview

Essential Kitchen Terminology

If you want to become a chef, learning the language of the kitchen is just as important as learning knife skills or cooking methods. Commercial kitchens use their own vocabulary of short, sharp words and phrases that help chefs communicate quickly during busy service. Learning chef talk now, before your first job interview, can mark you as a self-starter and a valued employee. Knowing chef talk could be what gets you that first job. 

Here are 50 essential kitchen terms every aspiring chef should know before stepping into a professional kitchen.

1. Mise en place – To have everything prepared and in its place before service begins.

2. Brigade- The structured team system of cooks and chefs used in professional kitchens.

3. Pass - The bench where finished dishes are checked and sent to the dining room.

4. Service- The period when food is being cooked and served to guests.

5. Line- The main cooking area where cooks and chefs work during service.

6. Station/Section - A specific work area (grill, sauté, pastry, cold section).

7. Garde Manger -The cold kitchen section (salads, sandwiches, cold dishes).

8. Prep - Preparation work done before service, your mis en place

9. FIFO - “First In, First Out” — food‑rotation rule for storage.

10. Lowboy - A small fridge under the bench.

11. Walk‑in - A large, cold room or fridge you can walk into.

12. Ticket / Docket - The printed order from the restaurant system.

14. Fire - Start cooking a dish or order.

15. Behind- Said when walking behind someone to avoid collisions. (safety)

16. Hot Behind- Said when walking behind someone with hot items. (safety)

17. 86 - A dish or ingredient is unavailable.

18. On the Fly - A dish needed urgently.

19. Pick Up- A call for a waiter to collect a dish.

20. Wipe - Clean the edges of a plate before sending it out.

21. Garnish - Final decorative or flavour element added to a dish.

22. Blanch - Partially cook food in boiling water, then cool quickly.

23. Sear- Brown the surface of food at high heat.

24. Reduce – High heat to create steam from a liquid to thicken and intensify flavour.

25. Deglaze - Add liquid, often an alcohol like wine, to a hot pan to lift browned bits.

26. Julienne - Thin matchstick‑style vegetable cut.

27. Brunoise- Very small diced vegetables.

28. Chiffonade - Thin ribbons of leafy herbs or greens.

29. Mirepoix- Base rough cut mix of onion, carrot, and celery.

30. Roux - Flour and butter cooked together to thicken sauces.

31. Stock - Flavoured liquid made from bones, vegetables, and aromatics..

32. Sous Vide -Cooking food in a vacuum‑sealed bag in a water bath.

33. Sauté - Cook quickly in a small amount of fat.

34. Render - Melt fat from meat.

35. Temper - Bring ingredients to the same temperature before mixing.

36. Resting - Letting cooked meat sit so juices redistribute.

37. Holding- Keeping food warm and safe before serving.

38. Flash Fry- Very quick deep‑frying at high heat.

39. Scrub Down - Deep cleaning the kitchen at the end of the shift.

40. Sanitise- Kill bacteria using approved chemicals or heat.

41. Combi Oven- Oven that uses steam, dry heat, or both.

42. Salamander- High-heat overhead grill for finishing dishes.

43. Flat Top- Large smooth cooking surface.

44. Bain‑Marie- Hot‑water bath used to keep food warm.

45. Yield - The usable amount after trimming or cooking.

46. Par Level- The minimum stock needed to operate.

47. Inventory- Counting and recording stock levels.

48. Prep List- Daily list of tasks to complete before service.

49. Cross Contamination - Transfer of bacteria from one food to another.

50. Danger zone – Between 5°C and 60°C, the temperature range where bacteria grow