What is haute cuisine characterized by?

Haute cuisine is characterized by the meticulous preparation and careful presentation of food at a high price.

Haute cuisine

is a French term that literally translates to “haute cuisine”. When you imagine dining at high-end restaurants today, you're most likely thinking about some of the key elements of haute cuisine. Haute cuisine or great cuisine; the food of the rich, the cuisine of high-end establishments, gourmet restaurants and luxury hotels.

Varenne's popularity led to French cuisine focusing on flavor, premium ingredients obtained out of season and from other countries, and more extravagant methods of cooking and preparing. There's usually nothing too spicy or too sweet about haute cuisine, as the focus tends to be on symmetry and balance, making food a smooth and enjoyable experience. The best French chefs François-Pierre de La Varenne in the 17th century, Marie-Antoine Carême at the end of the 18th century and Auguste Escoffier in the 19th century promoted the systematization of French cuisine through their writings and through the legions of chefs they formed. The Disciples Escoffier International is a group focused exclusively on talking about French haute cuisine and bringing together culinary professionals, from professionals to students, through organized events.

Escoffier's specialized line of staff and the practice of Russian service (serving dishes on plates instead of all at once) became known as classic cuisine. While some are determined to hold on to the initial foundations of haute cuisine, such as Michelin-starred restaurants and high-end hotel groups, many have incorporated the influences of the movement into other types of cuisine or restaurant concepts. For example, high-end hotel chains such as The Ritz Carlton offer guests unique dining experiences in first-class restaurants, as well as hosting the world's best chefs for culinary events focusing on haute cuisine. As for the catering establishments themselves, the entire rating system for Michelin-starred restaurants is based on the successful execution of haute cuisine.

Great cuisine, also called haute cuisine, is the classic cuisine of France as it evolved from its inception in the 16th century to its peak in the luxurious banquets of the 19th century.

Great cuisine

is often associated with a kitchen that is too formal and exaggerated and with a Victorian opulence dedicated to excess. In recent decades, modern haute cuisine has become a hybrid of these two variants, maintaining its emphasis on tasty flavors and expert technique, while prioritizing fresh seasonal ingredients. Finally, there's the presentation factor; haute cuisine is nothing more than elegant and artistic, with meticulous arrangements and small to moderate portions.

And many restaurants use the fundamental principles of haute cuisine, some without even recognizing it. During Escoffier's time, haute cuisine remained a hallmark of the rich and inaccessible to most others. Unlike peasant or bourgeois cuisine, in which bold and earthy flavors and textures are allowed and even desirable, great cuisine seeks a soft harmony and an appearance of art and order.