In a cooking school or culinary institute, you’ll study all kinds of foods and the techniques and tools you’ll use to prepare them, including such specialties as baking, pastry-making, confectionery (candy-making), etc. You’ll probably also learn some of these subjects (and this is certainly not an exhaustive list):

• History: The culinary arts have changed a lot over the years — from their humble beginnings in prehistory to the melding of science and art that we enjoy today. Knowing that history will help you to appreciate culinary traditions, and understand why the world’s cuisines and food practices are what they are.
   
• Language: The culinary arts use lots of words and phrases derived from French, Italian, and other languages; you’ll learn enough of these languages to understand what some key terms mean and be able to decipher other terms as you encounter them.
   
• Chemistry: Most of the changes that happen to foods when they’re prepared (cooked, fermented, cured, etc.) are the result of chemical reactions. When you understand the chemistry, you’ll be better able to predict how dishes will taste and “behave” in various situations.
   
• Design: Though how the food tastes is of the utmost importance, it’s also essential to have a good “presentation” (a visually appealing arrangement of the food on the serving plate). Making the rest of the dining environment as satisfying as the food doesn’t hurt either.
   
• Nutrition: While the culinary arts put great emphasis on the “sense appeal” of food, as far as our bodies are concerned food is only useful for providing the chemical building blocks that our bodies need to survive and be healthy. Learning about those building blocks, and how not to lose them when preparing food, benefits you and your customer alike.
   
• Psychology: In service industries such as dining and hospitality that involve working closely with other people, it’s always helpful to be aware of the ways that people think, how that’s reflected in their actions, and what you can do (especially as a manager) to maximize satisfaction and performance and minimize problems.
   
• Applied Math: Whether you’re going to make a recipe (or adapt it to a larger or smaller batch), order supplies, or figure the tax and add up a customer’s bill when the cash registers break down, you need to know what to do with the numbers.