A toque is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all. Toques were popular from the 13th to the 16th century in Europe, especially France. The mode was revived in the 1930s. Now it is primarily known as the traditional headgear for professional cooks, except in Canada where the term is primarily used for knit caps.
Etymology
The word has been known in English since 1505. It came through the Medieval French toque, presumably by the way of the Spanishtoca "woman's headdress", from Arabic *taqa 'طاقة' for "opening". and "طاقية" "taqia" for "hat" originally for something "round" that has an opening. The word toque is Breton for "hat". The spelling with the "que" is Middle Breton, and Modern Breton is spelled tok. Old Breton spells the word toc. The word was borrowed into the French language both for the chef's uniform and the knit cap.
Usage
Culinary
A toque blanche, often shortened to toque, is a tall, round, pleated, starched white hat worn by chefs. The toque most likely originated as the result of the gradual evolution of head coverings worn by cooks throughout the centuries. Their roots are sometimes traced to the casque à meche worn by 18th-century French chefs. The colour of the casque à meche denoted the rank of the wearer. Boucher, the personal chef of the French statesmanTalleyrand, was the first to insist on white toques for sanitary reasons. The modern toque is popularly believed to have originated with the French chefMarie-Antoine Carême, who stiffened the casque à meche with cardboard.
Judicial
A toque, or sometimes touge, was the traditional headgear of various French magistrates.
A low type inblack velvet, called mortier, was used by the président à mortier, president of a parlement, and of the members of two of the highest central courts, cour de cassation and cour des comptes.
The pleated, low, round hat worn in French universities the equivalent of the mortarboard or tam at British and American universities is also called a toque.
Heraldic
In the Napoleonic era, the French first empire replaced the coronets of traditional heraldry with a rigorously standardized system of toques, reflecting the rank of the bearer. Thus a Napoleonic duke used a toque with seven ostrich feathers and three lambrequins, a count a toque with five feathers and two lambrequins, a baron three feathers and one lambrequin, a knight only one ostrich feather.
Athletic
Toque is also used for a hard-type hat or helmet, worn for riding, especially in equestrian sports, often black and covered with black velvet.
Canadian
In Canada, tuque is the common name for a knitted winter hat, or watch cap ; the spelling "touque", although not recognized by the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, is also sometimes seen in written English. The Canadian-English term was assimilated from Canadian-French . Toque first appeared in writing around 1870. The fashion is said to have originated with the coureurs de bois, French and Métis fur traders, who kept their woollen nightcaps on for warmth during cold winter days. Such hats are known in other English-speaking countries by a variety of names, including beanie, watch cap or stocking cap; the terms tuque and toque are unique to Canada and northern areas of the United States close to the Canada–United States border. In 2013, CBC Edmonton launched a poll to ask viewers how they spelled the word. The options given were toque, tuque or touque. Nearly 6,500 people voted, with Edmontonians remaining divided on the issue. In recent years toques have resurfaced as an extremely popular fashion item, they are used all year round seen not only used outdoor for weather but as an indoor fashion accessory. Many toques are used to promote or advertise as items of Canadian memorabilia i.e. Canadian NHL hockey teams, Canadian provinces and cities and many more popular culture artifacts.
