National Culinary Arts Month

Food is not only an everyday necessity but it is also an aspect of life that can bring tons of joy when a meal is well-prepared and served with the utmost care. With the purpose of showing respect for and paying tribute to chefs and culinary professionals across the nation and the world, it’s time to celebrate National Culinary Arts Month! 

History of National Culinary Arts Month

While food has certainly been around since the dawn of time, the concept of creating meals as something more than a perfunctory task started a little more recently. Even with the Renaissance and the eventual development of cooking as an artform, it wasn’t until the 18th century that being a chef became something more than simply being a household servant.

19th century Europe brought with it a new wave of ‘haute cuisine’ that focused on flavor and precision, which required more special skills and training, and the concept of culinary artistry was likely born during this era. In the United States, the first cooking school was founded in Boston in 1879, out of which came the first American cookbook, published just 15 years later – The Boston Cooking School Cookbook.

National Culinary Arts Month has been celebrated each July since its inaugural event in 2002. For more than two decades, this month has been a time to give a shout out to those hard-working, creative minds who often take a back seat because they are busy working in the kitchen!

How to Celebrate National Culinary Arts Month

Have a tasty time during National Culinary Arts Month and participate by starting off with some of these ideas:

Thank a Culinary Artist

Perhaps there is a person in the family or friend group who is a chef or baker– then National Culinary Arts Month is a great time to show them some appreciation by thanking them for their contribution to tasty meals. Or, perhaps this would be a good time to visit a favorite restaurant and call out the chef to say a special thank you after they have prepared a delicious meal.

Become a Culinary Artist

Those who have always dreamed of having a career where they could create delicious meals that would delight customers at a restaurant or private catering business might consider signing up for cooking school! National Culinary Artist Month would be a great time to check out when the next enrollment period is for a local school that would pave the way to becoming a pastry chef, sous chef, butcher chef or even head chef.

Share Some Recipes

Get inspired during National Culinary Arts Month by sharing some old favorite or interesting new recipes with friends and family members. Host a party where participants bring a favorite dish they have made with recipe cards printed out, so each guest goes home with a satisfied appetite and handful of tasty new recipes to try. Or create a recipe sharing group on social media where culinary fans can trade recipes and secrets that can make their cooking experiences in the kitchen much more delightful and delicious.