Figure 1. Mandarin (The Pun House).
As everyone discovered in the lecture by Kuttanien (2016), the Sapir-Whorf hypotheses explains: that a society's language alters their view on reality and that a society's world is distinct from others. The same can be said for different work networks; they all have their own jargon that is only understood by those in the know. Chef networks are no different. The language of chefs has two major uses: it can be used to describe a singular object in extreme detail, right down to the smallest, insignificant, minuscule description or it can be blunt.
Take for example the first few pages of this chef terminology, and you will notice how one word has a built in meaning which is crucial knowledge for people working in a professional kitchen. Many of these terms are originally French, but throughout the years have been transformed into part of the chef's vocabulary. These and other terms are mixed with the names of food for writing menu descriptions and recipes. The writing of menu descriptions, uses language and naming to create an image of a dish in the mind of the customer. A good description should elicit "sensory effects that cannot be directly shown such as... fragrances" (Tuan, 1991, p. 691).
A chef's vocabulary also consists of kitchen slang and phrases of description (please note that this link contains some coarse language) that are alien to people that do know what they actually mean. As the service period of a kitchen is a very fast paced environment, there is no time for long drawn talk; this is how the blunt part of the language is introduced. Kitchen slang is a way of talking that is extremely direct and demands short responses so the team can communicate in speed and precision. Knowing this terms (they change depending on the kitchen), instill a sense of self-identity within the work community. Without them, you can feel out of place very quickly.
Reference List
Chef"s Resources. (2016). Language of the professional kitchen. Retrieved from: http://www.chefs-resources.com/kitchen-management-tools/kitchen-management-alley/language-of-the-professional-kitchen/
Kuttanien, V. (2016). BA1002 Stories of place: Story Lines, week 5 notes [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved from: https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_2422320_1&course_id=_76323_1&framesetWrapped=true
The Pun House. (n.d.) Mandarin [Image]. Retrieved from: http://www.imgrum.net/user/instapunny/1557108036/1063329082842772923_1557108036
Tuan, Y. (1991). Language and the naming of place: A narrative-descriptive approach. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 81(4), 684-696.
Winnipeg Technical College. (2008). Culinary terminology: Chefs. Retrieved from: http://www.jcfswinnipeg.org/documents/chefs-terminology.pdf
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