They're not just for show—those towering white hats carry centuries of culinary history, clues to kitchen hierarchy and tons ...

You don't see them used as often in the postmodern world, but traditional chef hats were tall for a reason. Turns out, the design was quite practical.

Images of chef’s outfits from the late 1800s show what looks like a toque, but the height of the hats became shorter with each decade. “ The Chef’s Uniform," another journal article, dove ...

First, the correct name is a chef’s toque, the French word for "hat." Second, they usually have exactly 100 folds. And that number is for a good reason.