How to Become a Viable Raw Chef

The farmer's market is a raw chef's mecca.

Raw foodism refers to a style of cooking that consists of preparing food without heating it past 104 degrees F, if at all. Many classic raw foods, such as steak tartare, cebiche and nigiri-zushi, were popular prior to the advent of the raw-food movement. But a newfound interest in making raw food more palatable to the health-conscious gourmand has created a new player in the food service industry – the raw food chef. The techniques used to become a viable raw chef are similar to those used by the effective savory or pastry chef, but include a heightened emphasis on food safety and sanitation.

Instructions

1. Learn the food safety guidelines concerning the consumption of raw foods. Safety is of paramount importance in any food service environment, particularly that of a raw food kitchen.

2. Query your municipality’s health department for specific guidelines concerning the sale of raw foods in a food service establishment. Health codes concerning food service establishments vary among counties, and some prohibit the sale of certain raw proteins in a restaurant.

3. Learn the science behind the raw food movement. Proponents of raw foodism cite myriad health benefits when describing its premise. A viable chef is always able to back up his claims regarding food preparation techniques, particularly those that offer health benefits.

4. Source your ingredients locally. The length of time from farm to table plays a vital role in a product’s freshness -- the foundation of raw foodism -- and reflects on the chef’s abilities to attain fresh inventory.

5. Use only in-season produce. Using out-of-season produce belies the premise of raw food cookery and casts doubts on the chef’s knowledge of seasonality and produce in general.

6. Study the science behind brining, curing, fermenting and other forms of food preservation. You can consume many types of protein in the absence of heat if they “cooked” through enzyme action – the basis behind the aforementioned methods of food preservation.

7. Improve your knife skills. No other forum spotlights a chef’s knife skills as well as raw-food cookery. Raw food doesn’t lose moisture like cooked food and retains its shape, making every flaw or uneven cut readily apparent.

8. Stay up to date on advances in raw foodism. The raw food movement has numerous practitioners discovering and testing new techniques and methods of making raw food more palatable and widely accepted. Many professional-chef websites and blogs serve as apt forums to discuss the raw-food niche among colleagues.