Helene Darroze: 7 things to know about the world's best female chef

Helene Darroze is the 48-year old who was voted World's Best Female Chef at this year's World's Best Restaurant Awards.

In strict traditional terms, the kitchen is generally regarded as a woman's place as it is the woman who is usually responsible for preparing meals in most home.

However, when it comes to the restaurant business, it's usually a man's world with most award-winning chefs being men.

Enter Helene Darroze, the 48-year old who was voted World's Best Female Chef at this year's World's Best Restaurant Awards.

Here are 5 things you should know about the award-winning chef:

 

1. She was the inspiration for the character "Colette" in  culinary cartoon, "Ratatouille"

2. She's from a family of chefs: By her own admission, she is from a family of chefs. "My father, my uncles were chefs, my grandfather, my grandmother, my great grandfather and great grandmother so I am born in a kitchen, I grew up in a pan," she told CNN.

3. She attended the  the prestigious L'Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Bordeaux Business School.

4. She began her career in the kitchen after chef Alain Ducasse gave her a shot at working in the kitchen in the prestigious Louis XV restaurant in Monaco's Hotel de Paris. Following her stint at Louix XV, her father gave her the keys to the kitchen of the family-run restaurant in 1995.

5. In 2001, she won a Michelin star, which is one of the most prestigious food ratings in the world. She also attracted a legion of fans including former French president Jacques Chirac.

6. Darroze has said that with each plate of food served, she strives to tell a story, specifically telling something about herself. "The other rule is generosity: Food is about sharing something which is inside you, giving a little bit of you." she said.

7. She creates all the new dishes by herself, and has said she needs to be in her pajamas or something very comfortable  when creating her cuisine.