Photo by Brooke Saporta ’25

Culinary 1 students have already made a variety of baked goods and breakfast foods such as cookies, waffles and pancakes. As the semester progresses, students will advance to make more complicated dishes.

When I sat down with my guidance counselor to decide what courses to take this school year, I started looking through the required graduation credits. Language, math, gym—all okay. But wait: “Visual and Performing Arts.” I had nothing. I realized that if I didn’t complete an “arts” credit within the next two years, I wouldn’t be able to graduate.

The first option that came to mind was Culinary Arts. I had seen enough of my friends walking through the halls with plates of warm chocolate chip cookies to know that class couldn’t be too bad. Plus, it literally had the word “arts” in the title. 

So, when my guidance counselor asked what art class I would take, I replied confidently: “I’ll take culinary.”

“Sorry, that counts as additional credits,” she replied. This shocked me. How could culinary not be an arts class? 

Because of the course’s nature and of course, the fact that “arts” is in its title, I know of multiple students who have misinterpreted the class to count towards their graduation arts credits. 

This misconception is logical: Cooking should be considered an art form. Similar to painting, there are many components that go into cooking such as quantity of ingredients, over temperature, equipment and techniques. Even though many baked goods follow a strict recipe, not all products will come out the same. This lends culinary to have creative qualities very similar to a visual arts course. 

Additionally, cooking can represent a physical form of art like dancing as it allows students to express themselves. This is particularly seen when it comes to cooking rather than baking when an individual is given the opportunity to experiment with ingredients and techniques to cater a dish to their liking. Also, it’s beneficial for students to become more comfortable with cooking skills earlier on. Even as adults, many struggle to cook due to its complexity and a lack of willingness to learn.

According to Harvard Business Review, only 10% of Americans profess a love of cooking, while 45% say they outright hated it and 45% were on the fence.

It has become too normal for adults to be ordering out food every night. Cooking at home is far healthier, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly. Taking a culinary class in high school builds good habits and cooking skills that students will use throughout their life. 

Having the class count as an art credit rather than just an extra credit would definitely increase enrollment and benefit the student population. Having the class count only towards “additional credits” undermines the class’s importance and invalidates the work of students enrolled.