Why are men the best chefs?

Cooking might seem to be a women’s thing, however many of them end up as waitresses and instead leave men to take on the leading duty in the kitchen.

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Fred Nakweya at work. Chief Executive Chef of Serena Kigali Hotel. The New Times/ File.

Cooking might seem to be a women’s thing, however many of them end up as waitresses and instead leave men to take on the leading duty in the kitchen.

Isn’t it ironical how men can actually beat women at their own game; cooking?

Research says that most of the best chefs in the world are men. However, the career doesn’t only deal with cooking but a lot more is needed to make a good chef.

To be a chef, you have to be swift and able to withstand long working hours.

However, several women have domestic duties to attend to and therefore can’t commit to professional cooking because of the divided attention.

Joseph Karurangwa 22, who runs a shop in Giporoso says that women are good cooks but don’t usually want to get to the level of being chefs.

"Women don’t want to build a career out of cooking because they already have a role and that is to take care of the family but once men join that field; they fall in love with it. It becomes an art they want to earn from,”Karurangwa says.

He adds that women never take this seriously since for most, it’s a fundamental female trait. For men, it’s something that intrigues them.

Karurangwa says he has met so many women who are really good at cooking but only a handful of them can qualify for chef status.

Linda Ingabire 23, a Rwandan student in Malaysia says that men are only better cooks when they are in charge of the kitchen.

"Women are good at cooking but men are exceptional especially when it comes to exotic meals. Chefs need a lot of creativity to make meals mouthwatering and lip smacking and men are good at it.”Ingabire says.

The long working hours, the swiftness required from a chef, toiling on one’s feet all day, the hot kitchen spoiling your hairdo’s are some of the things women can’t stand thus making this career more suitable for men.

Being a chef doesn’t only concern cooking; it requires a lot more like physical and emotional strength.

maria.kaitesi@newtimes.co.rw