Gastronomist is a professional who is specialized in the art of preparing, sampling and cooking various items and recopies of food. These rare professionals are highly skilled and innovative. Contrary to classic Chefs these professionals use molecular gastronomy a non-traditional branch of science devoted to studying the physical and chemical processes involved in cooking food.
Their skills are to simultaneously please and temp the tongue, stomach and eye i.e. virtually all the sense organs of the human beings in one go.
Prospects of a Gastronomist are very good in today’s health-conscious and tech-savvy world. There is lots of option to travel overseas and earn money in terms of foreign currency. But all this is not as simple as it seems to be. In terms of qualities, this industry calls for lots of commitment and passion, besides a lot of creativity.
To discharge his duties with utmost efficiency a gastronomist should have the requisite basic knowledge concerned with this field. For this, there are the specific short term and long term courses available which one has to undergo.
Gastronomist Eligibility
The minimum qualification for becoming a Gastronomist is Bachelor’s Degree from a recognised institute.
Gastronomist Required Skills
- They should be able to resolve issues and challenges by applying knowledge from areas of gastronomy; able to innovate and develop products according to industrial standards and gastronomic trends.
- They should have skills like managerial competencies, analytical, organizational skills and the ability to anticipate, decide and solving matters in situations related to his or her professional fields.
- Gastronomist also possesses managerial, financial, marketing, and gastronomic skills needed for a successful career.
- As a gastronomist one has to work very long hours and be prepared for hard work and experimentations with new techniques because it is a full-time job and required hundred per cent commitments to progress.
How to become a Gastronomist?
To become a Gastronomist one has to undergo one or more of the following Courses
Course Eligibility
1. Educational Qualification
The eligibility for admission to chef’s course at the undergraduate level is higher secondary examination pass irrespective of the stream and the percentage of marks obtained.
Step 1
Interested candidate has to appear in an entrance test conducted by Ministry or Tourism run institutions across India or opting for a good private organization or international institution.
These exams are usually held in the month of May-June and consists of Objective type questions based on the relevant subjects the results of these exams are generally out by June/July
However, some colleges also give admission on the basis of % of marks obtained in the qualifying class
Step 2
After completing this 3-4 years of hotel management degree specializing in Food Beverages it is good to join molecular gastronomy programs for the postgraduate degree. The three-year course of study provides a unique blend of science and gastronomy, with ideas and inventions devised in the laboratory being tested and refined at the Fat Duck. Several cooking schools are also incorporating molecular gastronomy in their courses.
After the course, one can opt. for some job in the hotel industry or can go for an appropriate business course if he has plans of starting his own restaurant someday.
Equipment Used by Gastronomists on Their Work
There are many tools that are used by practitioners of molecular gastronomy. They include:
- Thermal immersion circulator - this device circulates warm liquid that is kept at a precise, constant temperature to assure even cooking.
- Vacuum chamber - food can be cooked much faster in a vacuum. Also, the power of the vacuum can decrease the time required to marinate foods.
- Mini-smoker - It can be used to smoke foods inside a sealed container to give a pleasant smokiness in the absence of a grill or wood heat source.
- Chemicals including natural gums and hydrocolloids - these are used as thickening agents and for other chemical reactions in foods.
Gastronomist Job Description
They are the professionals responsible for using molecular gastronomy that has come to refer to a type of cooking in which special tools and techniques are used to produce food in unique and exciting ways, generally involving the use of equipment such as vacuum chambers and unusual ingredients that cause food to react in unusual ways.
There is lots of option for Gastronomist in all kind of Eating joints throughout the world.
Gastronomist Salary
Enormous employment opportunities are available in this field. For starter one can get anywhere near Rs.15,000 to Rs.20,000 and if one decides to join some overseas restaurants he can get anywhere near Rs.2,00,000 to Rs.3,00,000 per year depending upon the organization and the country one goes. After gaining come on job experience one can start his own business and can earn as good as Rs.50,000 per month and more. It all depends upon the individual’s capabilities and creative skills.
