If chefs from all over the world are considered, it is found that a majority of them are males and females make up a very small proportion. Some of these have contributed so greatly to cuisine that they have proved themselves to be legendary in this field.

Famous chefs
The following list includes some of the past as well as contemporary famous and great chefs.

Fernand Point
He is called as the "Father of Novelle Cuisine" and Master of la grand cuisine. Point is undoubtedly one of the greatest chefs ever. When he was only 26, he established Restaurant de la Pyramide as an international gastronomic mecca. His culinary mentorship resulted in the generation of world renowned chefs like Francois Bise, Alain Chapel, Louis Outhier, Paul Bocuse, Jean and Pierre Froisgros that continued his works.

James Beard
He is respected as the "Father of American Gastronomy". In 1955, he established "The James Beard Cooking School" where he taught cooking to men and women for about 30 years. He wrote several books on cooking which became classics. Some of these are 'The James Beard Cookbook' in 1959, James Beard's 'Treasury of Outdoor Cooking' in 1960, 'Delights and Prejudices' in 1964 and 'James Beard's American Cookery' in 1972. When he died in 1985, he left a legacy of culinary excellence to the coming generations of professional chefs.

Auguste Escoffier
The French government exalted Escoffier as a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur in 1920 and as an Officer in 1928. The German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II told him that he was the Emperor of Germany, but Escoffier was the Emperor of chefs. Escoffier wrote many books out of which 'Le Guide Culinaire' in 1903, 'Le Livre des Menus' in 1912 and 'Ma Cuisine' in 1934 are the most popular. His three most crucial achievements are revolutionizing and modernizing the menu, the art of cooking and the organization of the professional kitchen. He developed the first a la Carte menu.

Julia Child
She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and a co-founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food. In 1963, the TV cooking show "The French Chef" was a huge success. She has written several books of which 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' published in 1961 was immensely popular. Child started "L'Ecole des Trois Gourmandes", a cooking school, in 1951 along with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle.

Ferran Adria
He is considered the father of modern Spanish cuisine. Admirers come from different corners of the world to El Bulli, his restaurant in Roses, Spain. He uses new techniques and gadgets and has a wonderful creativity. In his experiments, he skews ingredients to unexpected textures and serves them at unconventional temperatures.

Todd Gray
He is altering the definition of American food. He is trying to prove that American cuisine is not limited to bland, mass market and pre-packaged fodder. One of Washington D.C.'s premier restaurant's has been created by him.

Patricia Yeo
She is known for blending exotic Asian, Mediterranean and South western ingredients into unique delicacies. Her Eclectic American restaurant AZ has started in 2000. She has authored the cookbook 'Cooking from A to Z'.

Thierry Blouet
In 2000, he was honored with the rank of Maitre Cuisinier in France. He established the world famous "Cafe des Artistes" restaurant in Puerto Vallarta. The Sauteed scallops Marinated in Orange, Mystique stuffed Chiles w Shrimps and Sea Bass Cafe des Artistes entice people to visit Blouet's restaurant.

John Ash
He is an internationally recognized Northern Californian chef and specializes in wine country cuisine. He has authored books like 'American Game Cooking: A Contemporary Guide to preparing Farm-Raised Game Birds and Meats' and 'From the Earth to the Table: John Ash's Wine Country Cuisine'. Cream Almond Fresh Oysters and Chocolate Truffle Trot are some of his delicacies that enjoy international acclaim.

Sanjeev Kapoor
He is the top Indian chef. He has written several books out of which some are 'Celebration of Indian Cookery', 'Best of Chinese Cooking', 'Khana Khazana' and 'Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook'. He is an anchor in the TV show "Khana Khazana".

Samuel Arnold
He is famous for blending Mexican, Indian and frontier American tastes. The dishes he prepares have exotic titles like Chicken Livers Volkswagen, Rocky Mountain Oysters, Moose Nose, Bowl of the Wife of Kit Carson etc. He is known for mixing culture, taste and history in the recipes.

Lucas Ndlovu
The International Chaine de Rotisseurs has honored him as one of the 24 South African chefs. He is known to share his dishes with poor children also. Avocado with ginger, honey and celery, paper-thin ostrich carpaccio, grilled baby kingklip rolled in macademia nuts are some of his famous dishes.

Ming Tsai
He is a renowned Chinese chef in Boston. The East-West fusion restaurant Blue Ginger belongs to him. He is the anchor of the cooking show East Meets West. Chipotle sweet potato soup, Spicy black bean mussels and Salad are some of his popular dishes.

Antonio Carluccio
He opened the first Italian food shop in Covent Garden in 1991. In the process, he brought the supreme quality Italian food to London. "Cavatelli with Mussels – Cavatelli con le Cozze" is the dish he is admired for. He is the author of 'Southern Italian Feast'.

Abhay Burande : Buzzle.com