Chef Tattoos: food love 4 ever

It’s a new breed of chef.

Unbound from centuries of tradition, they cast off the starched white chef’s jacket and toque. The cooking became daring and experimental; the lifestyle a reflection of the profession. It’s the chef as rock star, replete with fame and fortune, drugs and groupies. And tattoos.

The traditional marks of the profession, the calluses, cuts, burns, and scars, are no longer enough. The contemporary chef flaunts a more personal, ballsier, in-your-face style (regardless of gender? there are plenty of ballsy women working in the industry), that tattoos complement.

The food industry is tribal.

Restaurant workers sweat alongside one another. They work late nights and early mornings, weekends and holidays. They bond through a shared commitment  to labor for hours to achieve the fleeting beauty and pleasure of their creations. From busboy to line cook to executive chef, that is their singular, shared goal.

The tattoos below adorn the bodies of chefs. They’ve chosen to depict tools of the trade, favorite ingredients, and a portrait of culinary pioneer Alice Waters.  They are a reflection of the special passion, devotion, and lunacy found in their profession.

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Yummy Tattoos and Food and Ink document the world of culinary tattoos.

Not ready for a bottle of Sriracha to be inked on your forearm? Show your evanescent hot sauce love with food-themed temporary tattoos.

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