Standardized prescription ideology

A standardized recipe refers to a specific standard of use for certain indicators in cooking – standard size, time, temperature, amount, etc. Following this rule creates unity in kitchen products, whether tangible or intangible.

The idea of standardized recipes is certainly no longer foreign to many of us. In fact, it is widely used all over the world and we have to follow the indicators of certain standardized formulations. In the kitchen, standardized recipes are an important part of the standardization of dishes, ingredients and elements in a restaurant, which can lead to profit or loss during opening hours. Some restaurants benchmark standardized recipes in their kitchens, others don’t. There are pros and cons to using standardized recipes.

Advantages of a standardized recipe

• Create absolute standards in kitchen products and culinary activities.
• Ensures smooth transitions between different kitchen employees.
• Maintain food quality and food standards during kitchen hours.
• A guide for beginners in the kitchen.
• Refreshes the kitchen staff after a while. (eliminates guesswork)
• In case of dispute, please refer to the material.
• The calculation basis for calculating the kitchen costs.
• Serves as a great guide for implementing any new menus.
• Scheduling and costing purposes when specific events require accounting/kitchen control audits.
• Avoid raw leftovers (with good kitchen control)

Disadvantages of a standardized recipe

• Inconvenient – this could be because the chef keeps a list of standardized recipes in his room and locks it away, or there are three big books of standardized recipes that the kitchen staff have to go through one by one to get everything done. Inconvenience is the main reason why kitchen staff do not use standardized recipes.
• Time consuming – This is one of the reasons for not following a standardized recipe. During peak hours, the kitchen has no time to lose and every second counts.
• Better Variations – Some cooks prefer to follow their flavor center, others just like their own beliefs. This can cause problems if proper training and kitchen checks are not provided.
• Rules are made to be broken – there are always several people/customers around your restaurant. What matters is the customer. When restaurants do not regularly test standardized recipes, inaccurate information can be provided in standardized recipes. Solution: Leave room for variations in food/cooking. This usually happens when the chef is not well organized or trained for the job.
• It’s not a secret anymore – some restaurateurs or chefs don’t like books with standardized recipes because they want to protect their food knowledge. It’s a classic version: someone comes over, takes all the recipes and leaves the restaurant a month later.
• When it’s gone, it’s really gone – at certain points in a restaurant, a recipe can be lost. If it is missing, understanding is somewhat undermined as the chief must take immediate action. In another case, it can also be “stolen” or “recovered” when the management of the restaurant changes, and/or someone steals specific information, or the restaurant faces an incident such as a kitchen fire.