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Culinary Arts & Cooking vocabulary · Prep & Kitchen Workflow

Par level

Meaning in culinary arts & cooking, with examples

/ˈpɑːr ˌlevəl/nounAdvanced term

In culinary arts & cooking, par level means: The amount of an ingredient or prepared item that should be on hand for a shift or until the next delivery. Also called par stock or just par.

In Turkish: par seviyesi, olması gereken stok miktarı, standart stok seviyesi

How it is used

Used on prep lists and order sheets. Cooks compare what they have with the par and prep or order the difference. Pars are adjusted for busy days, events and seasons.

Example sentences

  1. The par level for hollandaise on Saturday is three litres.

  2. We're below par level on chips. Prep another two trays.

Common collocations

  • below par level
  • set par levels
  • par sheet
  • prep to par
  • prepShort for preparation: the work of getting food ready before cooking or service, such as washing, peeling, cutting, portioning and making sauces. Also used as a verb.
  • mise en placeThe preparation and organisation of all ingredients and tools at a station before cooking or service begins. From French, meaning "putting in place".
  • FIFOFirst in, first out: a stock rotation rule that older stock is used before newer deliveries, so that food does not go out of date.
  • dry goodsFood products that do not need refrigeration and are kept on shelves, such as flour, rice, pasta, sugar, pulses, spices and canned goods.

More terms: Prep & Kitchen Workflow

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