The Le Cordon Bleu institution offers prestige unmatched by very few other institutions. One and the same with expertise, innovation, tradition, and refinement, this is an internationally-renowned school for culinary arts.
After a very successful cookbook called La Cuisiniére Cordon Bleu was published in the late 19th century, the publishers decided to open a cooking school in Paris using the Cordon Bleu name.
Le Cordon Bleu was the name of a high honor King Henry II bestowed on members of the Order of the Holy Spirit, during the 16th century. The Cross of the Holy Spirit, a medallion which was awarded, was presented suspended from a Blue Ribbon (also known as "Le Cordon Bleu").
The school started gaining popularity within France, as well as outside of the country. In 1897, the first student from Russia was admitted and in 1905 the first student from Japan was admitted. Students from all over the world have trained in the culinary arts at Le Cordon Bleu, including government-sponsored students from Shanghai.
In addition to its Paris setting, Le Cordon Bleu operates schools in Tokyo, Sydney, Ottawa, and London. Some American cooking schools were offered partnership with Le Cordon Bleu in 1999.
Le Cordon Bleu has been around almost as long as the Eiffel Tower, and it is just as much a part of French tradition. Marthe Distel's weekly magazine, started in 1895, allowed famous chefs to provide information and recipes and share advice, thus providing the readers with courses in the culinary arts.
The selection of the title was particular. In France during the sixteenth-century, the French knight's order the Ordre du Saint Esprit was the most exclusive. Its members - royalty included - were called Cordon-Bleus because of the broad blue ribbons they wore. During the ceremonious meetings of the Cordon-Bleu, truly legendary dinners were served.
In the 1700s,"Cordon-bleu" came to be synonymous with excellence in a given field. The phrase is commonly known in referring to very good cooks. One theory about the name is taken from the fact that students, who had mastered cooking at the school founded by Madame de Maintenon at Saint Cyr, wore a blue sash during their final year in school. Louis XV commented to his mistress, Madame du Barry, that only men could be good chefs. The king was invited by the lady for a light meal prepared by her chef. Her dinner was very successful and caused the king to question its source. He said,"Who is the new man that cooks for you? He's just as excellent as any of the cooks for the royal household." Madame Barry replied that it was a woman cook and that she deserved to be awarded an honor of Cordon-Bleu.
Le Cordon bleu ou nouvelle cuisiniere bourgeoise was the first Cordon Bleu cookbook, and it was published in 1827. The book was in print for 50 years while hundreds of people learned to cook by using the book's recipes. Madame Distel was foresighted enough to realize that classes should be organized in which students first watched a chef prepare dishes, and then in turn, prepared them themselves while he watched. On January 14, 1896 the first Cordon Bleu cooking class was held in Paris's Palais Royal.
The culinary classes succeeded amazingly. To begin with, the magazine focused on La Cuisine Pratique, or practical cooking, but from September 1896, it also offered classes in classical haute cuisine.
During the decades that followed, Le Cordon Bleu grew larger, instituted changes, and flourished. While the school was initially a Parisian institution, it rapidly became international, and by 1905, students came from such distant places as Japan to master the art of French cooking.
By the 1950s Le Cordon Bleu had developed into the most prestigious culinary school in the world and was regarded as one of the famous symbols of Paris.
It was a novel concept when Le Cordon Bleu introduced the teaching method in which a chef first demonstrated the cooking of the dishes and allowed students to sample them, before having the students prepare the same dishes. The professional quality of the course teachings is the basis for the school's reputation. Beginners are introduced to simple techniques, and professionals can improve their skills through contact with French chefs that hail from five-star restaurants. Anyone with Le Grand Diplome du Cordon Bleu is honored throughout the culinary world, and they can pretty well write their own ticket in getting jobs in the best facilities in France and abroad.
Chefs teach all courses in French, but there are teaching assistants who translate what they say into English. In all classes, students have their own work spaces, fully equipped with refrigerated marble work surfaces, a professional oven, and a whole range of kitchen utensils. Pastry, bread baking, and sousvide (vacuum-packed) cuisine are taught in special reserved work areas. Students spend time doing intensive training on certain aspects of French cuisine, such as pastry, chocolate, and regional cuisine.
Passing the examinations at Le Cordon Bleu is a distinctive honor that graduates can feel proud of.
Schools Offering Le Cordon Bleu Education:
- California Culinary Academy
- California School of Culinary Arts
- California School of Culinary Arts-Hospitality & Restaurant Management
- Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC)
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Atlanta
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Las Vegas
- Orlando Culinary Academy
- Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
- Scottsdale Culinary Institute
- Texas Culinary Academy
- Western Culinary Institute
