The constructing model of culinary creativity: an approach of mixed methods

This study explores the origin of culinary creativity and trainability in culinary education from the perspective of industry and academic chefs in Chinese culture in Taiwan. This study was conducted by mixed methods in 3 stages: first, face-to-face interviews were conducted to gather rich data of culinary creativity development to develop the second stage of Analytic hierarchy process (AHP); second, this study applied the AHP method to evaluate and prioritize culinary creativity components; and third, we employed the Modified Delphi method to reach a consensus of defining culinary creativity. The results show that the constructing model of culinary creativity is based on creativity in general by adding specific principle and influenced by education and training. The AHP result shows that the chefs’ perspectives in evaluating and prioritizing culinary creativity components. Lastly, the major consensuses from the modified Delphi method is that culinary creativity can fit into creativity in general with certain conditions. On trainability, culinary creativity could be trained and educated to improve and advance the quality and quantity of culinary creativity. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2013