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Food, Culture & Visual Representation

Food can be a study in culture. Every dish, method of preparation, and even flavour preference can be indicative of the region it comes from or the people who make it. Cruise ship chefs can use this knowledge to tap into the subconscious associations guests have with their own cultures – comfort flavours of sorts.

The mixing of cultures is far more frequent now than it has ever been before. Migration is very common and the fusion of foods is often a trend. But that certainly does not take away the roots of the culture they were born from.

For example, many Italians migrated to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing with them the Neapolitan and Sicilian food cultures, such as risotto, white sauce and polenta from the north, and pasta, tomato sauce and olive oil from the south. Today, spaghetti and meatballs, and pasta alla carbonara are associated with Italian food but these were in fact created from ingredients more readily available in the US.

Still, visually, just an image of plump red tomatoes, vibrant green basil and stark white cheese will immediately stimulate an association with Italian food rather than any other cuisine. This could possibly have come about because of the deep connections between visual stimuli and the perception of taste, smell and flavour.

One culture where the appearance of dishes is given a lot of importance is Japan. Influences from Chinese and Korean cultures over more than 2000 years helped develop the Japanese cuisine we are familiar with today. In addition, Buddhist and Shinto religious practices modified it too, by looking down on meat consumption. With fish as the most easily available substitute, fermentation was widely used for preservation before the focus was shifted to fresh fish that we now enjoy in sushi and sashimi.

With the arrival of the Portuguese and Dutch came the notion of frying food as a way of cooking and the Japanese developed methods like tempura. But what truly sets Japanese cuisine apart from its neighbours is its focus on appearance since they believe that food is to be looked at, as well as eaten.

A lot of ritual goes into cooking, plating and service. For example, they never arrange four elements on a plate since the homonym for four in Japanese is death. We are also well aware of their famous tea ceremony, a cultural activity with precise ways of preparing and presenting matcha tea.

Around the world, certain food items and dishes have become cultural icons. Foie gras, a specialty product made of duck or goose liver, is associated with France. So is the croissant, even though this flaky, buttery pastry actually originated in Austria in the early 1800s which later inspired the French.

In other places in Europe, we are familiar with fish and chips, and a full English breakfast in England; Gouda cheese in the Netherlands; haggis in Scotland; and paella and sangria in Spain. In a similar way, Australia is popular for vegemite on toast, Mexico for tacos, Greece for gyros, South Africa for peri-peri and bunny chow, and the Middle East for mezze.

Indian food culture is extremely varied, but its cultural icon is curry, even though this is a blanket term for what is in fact a very diverse range of gravies with multiple methods of preparation, flavours and origins.

Aromas and visual cues can jog people’s memories of their favourite food from their childhoods, without them even tasting it. Cruise ship chefs can use this knowledge to stimulate interest in passengers, particularly with daily specials or when creating exclusive meals for occasions or even for fussy children.

Congratulations to our ACCLA Students on being selected by luxury Cruise Ships

Different Knives & Their Uses

One of the most important tools in any kitchen, including a cruise ship galley, is a knife. But to be adept at your cruise ship job, it’s important to know how to distinguish between different types of knives and how to use them. Here are a few common ones.

This is the most common kitchen knife. Many chefs prefer having their own knives – they become comfortable with the weight, handling and versatility. These knives are most often between 8-10 inches long.

This is basically a smaller version of a chef’s knife, but not as hardy. A paring knife is used mostly for peeling fruit and vegetables and cutting with precision. Chefs use caution with a paring knife as too much force can damage it.

These special knives are between 6-10 inches long with serrations and an offset handle to ensure your knuckles avoid contact with the board when slicing bread. The serrated blade helps slice through loaves cleanly in both directions.

This is an important knife, particularly in the butchery section of a cruise ship galley. These are heavy and large to help cut through big chunks of meat, cartilage and hard bone. Some chefs also use cleavers to crush food such as garlic, but it’s important to clean knives thoroughly before using them with different food items.

Cheese is a popular food item around the world, and specialised knives are available to slice through different varieties. Soft cheeses require knives with holes so that their surface contact reduces and they don’t stick to the metal as much. Harder cheeses require sharper knives.

If you’ve watched cooking show host Nigella Lawson, you’ll notice she often brings out a semi-circular knife that helps her quickly chop ingredients quite finely. Held with both hands, chefs rock it back and forth to turn vegetables and herbs into small pieces with little work.

Most sushi and sashimi is made using yanagi ba, although specialised sushi chefs will use a number of different types when working with whole fish, cutting razor-thin slices of fugu blowfish with intricate presentation. The yanagi ba is long, thin and slightly concave along the back, with a sharp tip and single-sided edge which makes it perfect for slicing fish in a solid motion without it sticking to the knife. An usuba is used to cut and peel vegetables and garnishes. Its peculiarity is that it has a single bevel so left-handed chefs must get a left-handed version. A takobiki features a blunt tip and a long blade for thin, long slices of ingredients like sashimi and octopus. Other, more specialised, sushi knives are also available.

These knives are popular among diners too as they help slice through meat dishes at the table. Most often, they have serrated blades and wooden handles, and are the only sharp knife found at a dining table. At meal times, they are sometimes used by diners to cut up other cooked foods and also to spread butter.

With the festive season upon us, it’s important for soon-to-be cruise ship chefs to know the value of carving knives. These feature long blades narrower and thinner than a chef’s knife to reduce drag and ensure uniform slices of meat, particularly from whole roasted poultry, roasts and ham.

Decoding Michelin Stars

The Michelin Guides are considered the Academy Awards of the culinary world. Each year, Michelin publishes its Red Guide and Green Guides, that list the best eating establishments around the world. Restaurants receive between one and three Michelin stars based on anonymous reviews from ‘inspectors’, who can visit multiple times a year to ensure an accurate rating. The stars are difficult to obtain, and therefore an absolute honour for restaurant owners and chefs. They offer great prestige, exposure and an increase in business, and the opposite when they lose stars.

The history of the Michelin Guide and its stars is interesting. The most coveted restaurant reviews in the world were introduced by the eponymous Paris-based tyre company as a way to drive business. In the 1900s, when there were fewer than 3000 cars in France, Michelin published a travel guide to Europe to encourage people to drive to local attractions, which included restaurants and places of interest, as well as information for motorists such as mechanics listings, petrol stations, tyre repair and replacement instructions, and the like.

The restaurant review section became increasingly popular and a team was recruited to anonymously visit restaurants. In 1926, it started awarding a single star, which increased to the now well-recognised hierarchy of three stars.

The original 1936 rating explanations suggested that a single star indicates ‘a very good restaurant in its category’. Two stars indicate ‘excellent cooking, worth a detour’, while three stars meant the restaurant served ‘exceptional cuisine’ and was ‘worth a special journey’.

The ratings and reviews focus solely on the food, and in no way indicate anything other than that, including quality of service, interiors, table setting, etc. Any rating is considered praise, but with a one-star rating, Michelin inspectors typically mean that the restaurant offers quality menu and consistently good food, but largely lacks something singular that will command visits time and again.

With two-star ratings, restaurants can be rest assured that inspectors are suggesting they are worth a detour from a road trip to visit, offering something exceptional and unique. With three stars, the guide indicates that the restaurant is the destination itself and is worth a trip solely to visit, with dishes that are distinct and executed perfectly.

Michelin guides currently cover only specific areas – 25 countries, with the first Asia guide recognising Japanese cuisine only in 2007. India is not covered by the guides, but there are Indian chefs who have earned Michelin stars at their restaurants in other countries. These include Vineet Bhatia for his restaurant Zaika in London (2001), Alfred Prasad for Tamarind of Mayfair in London (2002), Atul Kocchar for Tamarind (2001) and Benares (2007) both in London, Karunesh Khanna for Amaya in London (2006), Sriram Aylur for Quilon in London (2008), Vikas Khanna for Junoon in New York for three consecutive years (2012) and Manjunath Mural for The Song of India in Singapore (2016). Gaggan Anand was the first Indian to win two Michelin stars with his eponymous restaurant in Thailand in 2018, the year Garima Arora became the first Indian woman to receive a Michelin star for Gaa in Thailand.

Of these, Atul Kocchar has teamed up with P & O Cruises for his restaurant Sindhu where he serves scrumptious Indian food on board, and also went to Antarctica in 2017 on a private charter cruise organised by luxury travel company The Q Experiences.

It’s important to note that Michelin stars are not only awarded to swanky, posh restaurants. Sushi Saito is a three-starred restaurant in Tokyo considered the holy grail of sushi but features a small wooden counter in a multi-storey car park.

Cruise Ship Chefs Experimenting The Right Way

Experiments are the root of change, of new trends that could possibly become classics. Cruise ship chefs should look at experimenting as ways to understand the ingredients they work with, and how they interact with each other.
But it’s not just a matter of putting two random ingredients on a plate and keeping your fingers crossed. Experimenting correctly involves a lot of research and trials. Here are a few ideas to help you get started

Flavour base ingredients
Often, it is a subtle change that can enhance a flavour. Think of the classic salt with chocolate to bring out the sweetness, or a dash of cinnamon in a cake. Cruise ship chefs can make similar subtle changes to dishes on board – flavouring breads, butter and yogurt with various herbs to introduce new flavour elements into a dish. Garlic butter, for example, is so 20th century. We’re looking at butter flavoured with walnut and blue cheese, Thai curry, salty anchovy, and even chocolate and orange ganache.

Think like a child
Children see wonder in everyday things. They look at the most mundane things with a new perspective. To make food interesting, it can help to think like a child. Make your food colourful and look at creative ways of presenting it. Edible ‘dirt’ is already quite popular. Combine this with edible ‘glass’ made of sugar syrup, peanut butter ‘play dough’ and non-toxic glowing ‘slime’ to create themes of gardens and fantasy worlds. This works well for cruise ship chefs around festivals such as carnivals, Thanksgiving, Halloween and independence or national day celebrations.

Make your food more visual
Experiments with food do not have to involve just taste. Life is more visual now – social media has taken over and images are everything. Illusions can come in handy when presenting food. Think of edible containers or cutlery – bread bowls for dips and soups, flavoured dough fashioned into spoons and forks. Mellower Cafe in Singapore serves a cotton candy coffee that offers guests an unusual way of drinking coffee with a cotton candy ‘cloud’ that melts into your cup using the heat from the coffee.
The New Yorker magazine even discussed how visuals can change the way food is tasted. A study showed how participants rated a strawberry-flavoured mousse 10 per cent sweeter when it was served in a white container over a black, and coffee tasted almost twice as strong but two-thirds as sweet when served in a white mug instead of a clear glass one.

Combine tastes and textures
Cruise ship chefs can experiment with different cuisines that have similar components. Perhaps Mexican and Indian, or north African and European food. There may be interesting matches to be made in flavour fusions here. But chefs can also take a classic dish and switch up textures to be innovative. Perhaps rice crackers with a chutney that reminds you of curry – the flavours are familiar to the Goan palate, but the textures surprise. Deconstructed pies can also be served innovatively. Use local flavours to switch things up – ube or purple yam from the Philippines, Durian in Indonesia, dragon fruit in Mexico, feijoa in Brazil, salsify from Europe, oca from New Zealand, etc. This will help you experiment with interesting flavour combinations and also use ingredients grown in the ports you visit.

Cruise Culinary Trend For 2020

Food is a huge part of cruising. Cruise ship chefs jobs require them to not only be proficient with what they do, but also efficient and creative with available ingredients. But all of their success rides on the kind of food guests are expecting and are a current trend.

Sustainability
This is a huge buzz word in the culinary fraternity today, mainly because food waste and the supplements used to grow produce have come into question. Sustainable food is safe and healthy, and is mostly focused around local produce. In many cases, it also refers to ensuring fair trade prices for farmers, fishermen and livestock agriculturists, which can be an issue in developing countries.
Cruise ship chefs are looking at incorporating more wholesome, organic food into menus across eating establishments in the coming year. Cruise ships are also spending more time in ports, allowing them to go to the markets there and procure local ingredients.

Seacuterie
Leading lifestyle magazine Good Housekeeping recently suggested an interesting trend for 2020 that it calls seacuterie. It is a seafood take on the typical charcuterie board, where a variety of predominantly cured meats is served sometimes with accompaniments.
On a seacuterie board, one might find products such as octopus salami, shellfish sausages or swordfish ham, pickled shrimp, smoked salmon rillettes and more. A wide variety of seafood could be pickled, fermented, smoked and aged to curate interesting antipasti.

Upgraded bar snacks
Cruise ship bar patrons are no longer satisfied with a regular bowl of peanuts to munch on as they drink. To keep visits to onboard pubs interesting, cruise ship chefs must now whip up interesting snacks. The trend in 2020 could be gourmet gastropub fare in snackable quantities, with high-quality ingredients and dazzling presentation.
Guests could be chowing down on dishes such as fried pickles with interesting dips, marinated olives, baked buffalo wings with blue-cheese dressing, sliders with crispy fries or onion rings, fondue with bread sticks or pretzels, baby meat pies, yakitori and more.

Healthier children’s menus
Many cruises stick with regular favourites for children’s menus – pizzas, burgers, mac n cheese, hot dogs and sundaes. But with nutritional issues facing many families in the developed world, healthy food is an increasing demand.
Cruise ship chefs now will need to swap out ingredients from all-time favourites to make them healthier. We can expect whole grains such as quinoa and wholewheat bread instead of white bread, and oven-baked potatoes over deep-fried chips. Easy swaps also include Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, baked fish sticks with marinara instead of aioli, fruit salads and salsas, wholesome granola bars instead of chocolate, and sorbets or dairy-free ice creams.

More vegetables & non-alcoholic drinks
Perhaps it’s the rise of the fitness and health industry, or it’s the sustainable movement taking over. More people are leaning towards plant-based diets than ever before. Cruise ship chefs are now being challenged to cater to these requirements while keeping food interesting and delicious.
There’s also the rising trend of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol beverages that promise various health benefits. Cruise ship chefs and bartenders will have to look into drinks such as kombucha, water kefir, tepache, kvass and toddy.

BREAD OF CRUISE LIFE

Bread is a staple in many diets around the world, featuring at most meals in European and North American mainstream food habits. For cruise ship chefs, this is a skill they must certainly master, particularly if they’re looking for cruise ship bakers jobs.
Americans eat on average 25 kgs of bread a year while the French reportedly go through 58 kgs annually. So one can imagine, that on cruise ships it is a pretty big deal. But there are a myriad types of bread from around the world, and bread displays on cruise ships are an important part of the buffet. Let’s look at a few popular types of bread available on most cruise liners.

Breadsticks
This pencil-thin crispy bread is often served as patrons seat themselves at the table, offering them something to snack on while they wait for service or enjoy some wine. Sometimes they are accompanied by cheese or dips, and wider versions may come with as an hors d’oeuvre with items like prosciutto.

Pretzels
Originally a German favourite, pretzels are now a popular snack noted for its looped shape and lovely crunch. They’re often eaten plainly salted but can also be topped with seeds, sugar, chocolate or cheese.

Sourdough
This variety of bread has recently undergone an artisanal revival, and involves a biological leavening process using a lactobacillus culture rather than yeast. It can be made from wheat, rye and barley, and because of its dry quality, is ideal for soaking up gravies, spread and also to make bread bowls for soups or bread crumbs.

Baguette
This French bread is crusty, long and slim. It very often forms an integral part of traditional Continental breakfasts, served with butter and fresh jam. However, you will also see it used with pâté or cheese, and sometimes for sandwiches such as paninis or submarines.

Focaccia
This versatile Italian bread can be seen as a doughier version of a pizza base. It can be served as an appetiser or as a side to a meal, but the most popular style in Italy is prepared with rosemary, olive oil and salt. Another favourite version is baked with olives.

Zopf
This Swiss loaf features prominently in bread displays by cruise ship chefs. It is also made in Austria and Bavaria, with white flour, milk, eggs, butter and yeast. The beautiful braid-like structure and gloss from the egg yolk brushed on top give it a very appetising look. A similar looking bread called challah is made around Jewish holidays.

Bagel
The bagel originated in Poland, a dense style with a browned exterior often topped with sesame seeds. It’s a very popular snack in North America and is mostly topped with cream cheese and cured salmon. Breakfast bagels are now becoming common, with sweet and fruity flavours.

Brioche
This is a cute little French variant that’s almost between a bread and a pastry. This makes it ideal for a hearty sandwich meal, simply adding some cheese or cured meats. It’s an easy meal for fussy children who will enjoy hazelnut chocolate spread or peanut butter and jelly in between.

Buns & rolls
These are the common types of bread needed as accompaniments to main meals. Cruise ship chefs also need to know how to make buns for burgers and rolls for hot dogs as these are popular snacks on board.

Sliced bread
There is no list of popular bread that is complete without the humble sliced loaf. It’s great for toast at breakfast and perfect for melty cheese sandwiches. Dry loaves go into making croutons for soup or bread pudding for dessert. They come in many variants including white bread, whole wheat, multi-grain and more.

Debunking Myths of Cruise Ship Chef Jobs

Life as a cruise ship chef is fairly different from one working in a land-based job. The work and living environment varies starkly and often potential recruits are subject to hearsay that can make them anxious about becoming cruise ship chefs. Here are a few myths of working on cruise ships:

You will have to prove yourself immediately
There’s nothing quite as jarring as having to perform to the best of your abilities on the first day of your first job. New cruise ship chefs don’t have to worry about this. Every company has a compulsory orientation and training programme to help you get acquainted with your work space, team mates and responsibilities. It is certainly a competitive world out there, but you will definitely get some breathing space before you are expected to perform.

Promotions are non-existent
Once more, this is based solely on the fact that there are many people vying for cruise ship chefs jobs. But you must also remember that the industry is expanding; it saw a six per cent increase in passengers from 2018 to 2019, and 18 new ships were ordered just from Cruise Lines International Association for the coming year, according to cruising.org.
This means that there will be improving employment prospects, and as with every industry, people with experience and good reputations are far more likely to be promoted both within the company and outside. Cruise ship chefs also stand to profit from promotions in land-based jobs when crossing over.

It’s a paid vacation
Many cruise companies, or even people currently with cruise ship chefs jobs, can paint an unrealistic picture of life at sea. It may seem like they are discovering a new exotic location every week, indulging in the best food, drink and activities, and generally having the time of their lives.
While cruise ship jobs are exciting, they are certainly not a walk in the park. The work days can be long and arduous, and there will be times you are required to be on ship even during your time off to adhere to rules on the minimum number of personnel on board. This is on a rota basis, so everyone gets a chance to relax. All in all, you will definitely enjoy time off in port while within the restrictions of your duties.

You will be home sick
Being far away from home for many months at a time can cause some people to be anxious, especially if it is their first time ever. You are probably imagining weeks upon weeks of no connection with home in a completely new environment.
While this may be partly true for a few rare individuals, cruise ship companies offer many ways to help ease any home sickness, if at all. Many Indians work on board cruise ships and you will find a range of food that reminds you of home. You will also find many employees speaking a language familiar to you. Major festivals such as Diwali and Holi are also celebrated with special food from the region, and parties specially for the crew.
Cruise ship companies also provide access to the internet so you can contact home and speak to your loved ones – it may be paid but the cost is often far less for crew than it is for guests.

Cruise Dishes For All Ages And Nationalities

Cruise ship chefs learn to make a huge variety of dishes, across cuisine styles. Trends come and go, and they must adapt to satisfy all tastes and preferences. There are some dishes that are loved by all, and versatile enough to satiate every age and nationality. Here are a few

Scrambled eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals. It’s the perfect food for anyone from the age of six months on, all the way to old age. No teeth are required when the consistency is perfect!
Cruise ship chefs can jazz up scrambled eggs using cheese, tomatoes and condiments. For an Indian version, chefs add masala, chillies, onion and coriander. They can be served alongside hash browns, sausages and other meats, fruit or even stir-fried vegetables for an extremely satisfying meal.

Mashed potato
Potatoes are quite a hardy vegetable, originating in South America and now available in innumerable varieties across the world. Many cultures have incorporated the humble potato into their own cuisines, but the perfect mash is rarely without takers.
The fluffiest versions typically include milk, butter, salt and pepper, and are sometimes whipped in a blender to achieve the right consistency. It is easily eaten by young and old alike, providing much-needed vitamins, potassium and fibre. It is usually served as a side-dish, but is easy on the stomach even for people with reduced immunity.

Soups
Soups can be hearty, refreshing and delicious. Cruise ship chefs know that many older guests enjoy a hot bowl of soup as the sun sets and that it’s one of the best ways for passengers – especially little children – to get their daily fix of vegetables.
Sometimes, after a few days of gorging on delicious food, guests need a break, and a light soup is the ideal answer. Every culture has a soup or at least some similar variant, and cruise ship chefs can whip something up comforting quite quickly. Favourite soups from around the world include clam chowder, French onion, clear vegetable, goulash, borscht, pumpkin, pho, noodle soup, miso, udon and egg drop.

Pasta
Not many say ‘no’ to a delicious bowl of pasta. It is easy to feed to children, hearty enough for grown people, and easy to digest for older folk. Cruise ship chefs can easily churn out a number of versions based on preferences, dietary requirements and available ingredients.
Pasta is high in carbs and low in cholesterol, and can be teamed up vegetables or meats to create interesting yet delicious dishes. It keeps well on board cruise ships and is sometimes made freshly in specialty restaurants. Cruise ship chefs on Majestic Princess reportedly cook around 200 kgs of pasta every day.

Ice cream, gelato and sorbets
Dessert is well-loved all around. While cakes, pastries, donuts and waffles do the rounds regularly, ice cream stands out as the perfect dessert for all ages and nationalities. Most cruise ships make ice cream, gelato and sorbets in-house, constantly churning throughout the voyage. Ice cream is one of the first sweets that can be eaten by little children and a favourite of older people. Newer flavours are now catering to tastes from across the globe, including masala chai, matcha, lemon, pistachio, popped corn and even candied bacon.

Get Cruise Jobs Without A Degree

Today, an increasing number of top-rated companies – including Google, Starbucks, Apple, Chipotle and Penguin – no longer believe that formal qualifications are a prerequisite to recruitments. Talent, integrity, hard work and passion for the job gain more merit than a traditional degree.
Short-term courses that supplement a basic education can offer the chance to entry-level cruise ship jobs that are a foot in the door to a successful cruise ship career. In all cases, you will need to learn about food safety on board a ship.

Snack attendant or buffet server
Crew in these roles tend to the serving dishes in the buffet and common dining areas to ensure they are always replenished. They are expected to be courteous and professional, and could work either in guest areas or crew mess facilities. Some previous experience in a five-star resort on land is preferable, but it’s not something a short-term course with an internship cannot fix.

Barista
Coffee is a fast-growing trend around the world, with demand increasing for specialised preferences. A good barista will learn about the various types of coffees and hone skills on making them just right. It also involves knowing how to grind coffee, take care of equipment and supplies, and also prepare and serve the beverages along with pastries and cookies being sold in the café. You will need to be quick at your work, be a team player and pay attention to detail.

Bartenders
This is a job similar to baristas but focused on alcoholic beverages. Many take short-term courses in bartending and mixology to enable them to create innovative drinks for guests on board. Cruise ship jobs such as this require staff to learn about various brands to market them effectively, engage in a little marketing to promote drink specials, in addition to knowing about recipes. Some cruise ship bartenders also take courses in flair bartending to be able to put on a bit of a show for guests.

Bar utility
Sometimes, cruise ship job seekers may have been unable to take courses, or are faced with a pretty competitive market. Bar utilities assist bartenders in operations by ensuring the work areas are kept clean, organised and well-stocked with essentials including ice, garnishes and mixers. They are also expected to be friendly and helpful to guests. Some experience in a similar set up may be required but a certification is generally not.

Butcher
Cruise ship galleys go through a great deal of meat each day. Standard and custom cuts are required by various restaurants on board for different meats – poultry, seafood, beef, pork, lamb, etc. On rare occasions one might find frogs legs or alligator. Butchers are expected to know how to debone, trim and tenderise any type and cut of meat ahead of cooking and service. Experience will be required but this is possible in a reputed shore-based restaurant.

Baker’s assistant
On board, everything including bread is made from scratch. This job profile requires you to learn about various types of bread – from sourdough to khabooz – to make high-quality items for the galley. It helps to know how to work the machinery and you will also have to keep the area clean and workstations in order. A short-term course is all you need with a little experience on the side.

Junior pastry cook
In a similar role to the baker’s assistant is a cruise ship junior pastry cook who assists the pastry chef in making pastries, cakes and pies. Basic knowledge in pâtisserie offers a better chance of scoring a job as you will need to know how to understand recipes correctly, and make basic things like butter cream, jams for filling and keep the work space organised. Some experience in a shore-based pastry shop may be required.

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