One of the sentences I hear most often in the world of gastronomy is this:
“I want to be a chef.”
At first glance, this may sound like an ordinary dream. But for me, it is a very ambitious sentence. Because being a chef is not simply choosing a profession; it is deciding what kind of life you are going to live.
In my understanding of the kitchen, being a chef…
Does not only mean cooking well.
It means managing a kitchen.
It means guiding a team.
It means building a story inside a plate.
And most importantly, it means representing something.
With the popularity of MasterChef in Turkey, many people today search for questions such as “what does it take to become a chef?” or “which department should you study to become a chef?” These are all valuable questions. However, I can say clearly that the essence of this profession cannot be explained only through technical knowledge or social media performance.
Being a chef is not limited to being good in the kitchen; it also carries the responsibility of communicating a country’s culinary culture accurately, respectfully and powerfully to the world.
Since 2023, I have been representing Turkey as the Captain of the TAŞFED National Culinary Team on national and international platforms. This responsibility has shown me one very clear truth.
At this point in my career, I can say clearly that chefship is a field with its own standards, one that constantly evolves and whose future is built collectively.
And perhaps most importantly… chefship is not only a learned profession; it is a culture passed from generation to generation.
That is why I answer a frequently asked question from a different place:
How does one become a chef? Actually, this is not the right question. The real question should be: How does one become a good chef? Because becoming a good chef is not built only on knowing recipes; it is built with perspective, discipline and time. And this is not a short journey.
What It Takes to Become a Chef
Naturally, this brings us to the question:
“What are the requirements to become a chef?”
The most honest answer is this:
There is not one single correct path.
But there are correct foundations.
For those wondering “which department should I study to become a chef?”, gastronomy and culinary arts education is certainly a strong beginning. Academic knowledge offers an important framework for understanding the kitchen.
But the kitchen is not a place where theory alone speaks. It is a place where knowledge gains meaning only through labour.
In my experience, true kitchen education takes shape over time and through repetition. There are several foundations that keep you standing throughout this journey:
Discipline The kitchen is not as romantic as it looks from the outside. You are inside a system that requires long hours, high tempo and constant attention. Without discipline, talent may carry you to a point… but it will leave you there.
Repetition Making the same dish over and over again… and taking it one step further each time. True mastery is not only about trying different things; it is about bringing the same thing closer to perfection.
Curiosity A good chef does not only ask “how is it done?” A good chef also pursues the question “why is it done this way?” Without understanding the product, the soil and the source, you cannot truly understand the kitchen.
Patience Many people today search for “what does it take to become an executive chef?” But before reaching that point, you must spend years working in the unseen side of the kitchen. The preparations no one sees, the labour no one applauds…
Because progress in this profession is not about being fast; it is about rising patiently on the right foundations.
And perhaps the most important truth is this: chefship is not a final destination. It is a continuous process of development.
Ideals and Long Working Hours
At a certain point in this profession, you understand something very clearly: what keeps you in the kitchen is not talent, but your ideals.
If you love this work only through the sentence “I want to be a chef” and only through what is visible from the outside… you will give up at the first difficulty. Because the kitchen does not choose those who only dream; it chooses those who can stand behind that dream.
For me, being a chef has never been just a job.
It has been a stance. A responsibility. And an identity that must be proven again every day.
One of the most overlooked realities of this profession is: long working hours.
Time works differently in the kitchen. You work while others rest. You are in service while others celebrate. Holidays, weekends, special occasions… These are often the busiest moments in the kitchen.
But the real point is this: if your ideals are not clear, you cannot endure this pace. Because this profession demands:
- Physical endurance
- Mental focus
- The determination not to give up
Many people ask today: “Is it difficult to become a chef?” My answer is: Yes, it is difficult… but if you are doing it for the right reasons, it is meaningful.
If at the end of the day you feel satisfied by what you have created more than you feel exhausted… you are on the right path.
Because chefship is not measured by hours. What matters is not how long you work, but what you transform that time into.
Chef Volkan Aslan