Like most life skills, cooking isn’t something that is impossible to do without formal training. While some people pick up the fine art of cooking rather easily, there are many that find it to be rather hard. We investigate what makes people think of cooking as a hard skill to master.
People in the western world are too dependent on food prepared by someone else
In the years post-WWII, the western world experienced a rise in prosperity among the masses. A lot of people starting eating out more, getting take outs, going for cheap fast food or using more canned and prepackaged food. This made cooking appear harder than it really is for successive generations that have little or no experience in the kitchen.
Minor details spoil the taste of a dish
In cooking, very minor details like an extra dash of salt or turning off the heat 2 minutes too early can make a huge difference to the overall taste of the dish. For someone that has little or no experience in cooking, it can make the experience look very daunting indeed.
Comparing one to professionals or good cooks
One of the biggest reasons that a lot of people don’t spend time mastering cooking skills is that they tend to compare their own style of cooking with that of someone whose food they love.
Basic meal components are often difficult to master
Basic components of a meal like bread are often hard to get right at the first try. Since every cook, cookbook author, chef and home cook swears by their own version of the recipe, new cooks find themselves in a position where there is no go-to solution to get the perfect outcome. This makes cooking appear very hard for some people.
