Understanding the Joy of Cooking

People say that the surest way that a woman will get to a man’s heart is through his stomach. That is true. In the course of history, no person has ever said no to food. Cooking is a universal favorite and it has done much to human being – livelihood, entertainment, etc. Indeed, the joy of cooking is undoubtable.

Cooking is described as the preparation of food for eating. Cooking is also considered the oldest and most needed craft that man has ever known. It involves the application of different methods, such as applying dry heat, use of heated liquids and fats, curing, pickling, and smoking.

When fire was discovered, the joy of cooking started to spark among the hearts of men. Many tried to experiment cooking different foods directly over the fire since pottery wasn’t available then. They either cooked the food directly over the fire or they wrapped and steamed them over embers.

If you think that was creative, just imagine how creative man got upon the arrival of pottery. The joy of cooking became even more sophisticated. Different pots were made to cater to different types of cooking. Man also discovered that food cooked in several different ways, tasted differently too.

The history of cooking can be traced back between the time humans discovered fire and the Neolithic period, otherwise known as the Stone Age. Before they learned to make fire, and use it to prepare food, they ate their food fresh. They also consumed fruits and vegetables, fish, and insects.

Humans first roasted or toasted their food directly from the fire. This was before they invented pottery, around 7,000 and 12,000 years ago. They also wrapped and steamed their food over embers. With the development of pottery, cooking became sophisticated. The methods of cooking, like boiling, stewing, frying, and baking, were soon realized. Later, it successfully evolved to what is now modern cooking.

The Culinary Arts has identified two types of cooking and five forms of cooking food with the use of heat. All these were studied for the love of cooking and for the goal of improving and perfecting the art.

Everybody loves to eat food, however, cooking it in different ways made eating food a much more memorable experience. It is this appreciation that man needs to feel in order to understand the joy of cooking.