In the past, those interested in a culinary career received their training through apprenticeships in established restaurants. They learned firsthand how to prepare ingredients and properly cook and plate various dishes.

In 1895 Le Cordon Bleu, the first cooking school to develop an international reputation, was founded in Paris, France, by Marthe Distel, a journalist and publisher of La Cuisinière Cordon Bleu magazine. In 1896 the first cookbook, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, by Fannie Merrit Farmer, was published. It is still in print and in wide use today.

More enthusiasm for cooking grew with the start of cooking shows on television. James Beard, widely regarded as the father of American cuisine, hosted a television cooking show called I Love to Eat from 1946 to 1947. Julia Child, the well-known chef and author, also had a popular cooking show in the 1960s.

The Culinary Institute of America was founded in 1946. It is one of the most renowned cooking schools in the United States.