Reasons for Cooking Food: Why We Cook
Table of Contents
Introduction
The term cookery refers to the preparation of both hot and cold dishes for consumption, including selecting ingredients and applying heat. While some foods are enjoyable raw, most require cooking for better taste, safety, and digestibility. Every student and teacher should understand the reasons behind cooking food to answer questions or prepare lesson notes effectively.
1. Makes Food More Palatable
One of the main reasons for cooking food is to enhance its palatability. Making food palatable means improving its taste, aroma, and appearance. Cooking transforms raw ingredients into dishes that are enjoyable to the senses, making meals appetizing and satisfying. As Julia Child once said, “You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food.”
2. Makes Food Digestible
Cooking improves digestibility by breaking down tough fibers, softening grains, and denaturing proteins. Foods like wheat, rice, beans, and dried vegetables become easier to digest when cooked. However, digestibility depends on cooking methods and skill; for example, a soft-boiled egg is easier to digest than a hard-cooked egg (Hancock et al., 2017).
3. Provides Greater Variety
Cooking allows for a wide range of flavors, appearances, and combinations. By using different methods such as boiling, roasting, frying, and steaming, the same ingredient can result in multiple dishes. Recipe books are filled with attempts to increase variety through different cooking techniques and food combinations (Smith & MacKinnon, 2007).
4. Sterilizes Food for Safety
Cooking partially or completely sterilizes food, reducing harmful germs that can cause illness. Foods exposed to dust, flies, or improper handling require thorough cooking to ensure safety. Sterilization also prevents spoilage and preserves food for longer storage, as in canning or boiling fruits and vegetables (World Health Organization, 2021).
5. Develops Flavors
Cooking releases and enhances natural flavors in foods. For some vegetables, the aroma develops as flavoring substances are released during cooking, improving taste and the overall dining experience (Ness, 2016).
Summary of Reasons for Cooking Food
- Cooking makes food more palatable.
- Cooking makes food more digestible.
- Cooking provides greater variety in dishes.
- Cooking partially or completely sterilizes food for safety.
- Cooking develops flavors in food.
For further reading, you may also be interested in: Reasons Why We Cook Rice.
References
- Hancock, J., et al., 2017. Impact of Cooking on Digestibility. Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 7(5), pp.1-10.
- Ness, L., 2016. The Science of Cooking. Academic Press.
- Smith, A., & MacKinnon, J., 2007. Hungry for Change: The Food Revolution. HarperCollins.
- World Health Organization, 2021. Food Safety: Key Facts. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety
