Mise en place is a French term commonly used in the field of gastronomy . Literally it means “set in place” or “to put in order, to make available” and it refers to any process of culinary preparation as far as it is said necessary to establish an order of ingredients that will be used in the supposed recipe. In gastronomic language, “mise en place” is expressed with the acronyms MEP and refers to the preparation of a dish, cocktail or service in a restaurant. Anyway, the mise em place involves certain and great technical knowledge for the gastronomy professionals.
The purpose of a mise en place is huge
- – Organize the kitchen work properly;
- – Convey an image of professionalization;
- – Provide a good service to consumers;
- – Optimize time with preparations.
In this sense, the mise em place necessarily establishes a planning in a general sense, as it must be taken into account that in a restaurant or cafeteria it is necessary to carry out a series of calculations on the number of expected consumers, the decoration of the tables and the distribution of plates.
The use of this concept in the French language
The concept mise en place in French is not used exclusively in gastronomic matters, but it is a very common expression in everyday language. Thus, there can be a mise en place of a business project, a speech or a leisure day, that is, in any activity that is necessary, prepare or organize something in advance. When the issues prior to the organization of something (the mise en place) are already organized, it is possible to stage what is known in French as mise en scène.
The French language in gastronomic terminology
The mise en place concept is a good example of the influence of French cuisine on international cuisine. There are several French terms that we use, such as aperitif, confetti, consume, entrecot, foudue, mousse, pate, tranche, cordon blue, etc. It should be noted, on the other hand, that words like restaurant, gourmet and haute cuisine (haute cuisine) are also French.
The influence of French cuisine goes beyond a specific vocabulary, as one cannot forget that in 2010 French cuisine was declared by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
