Cooking facts have been a fascinating topic since times immemorial.Studies suggest that our predecessors started to cook 1.8-2.3 million years back. The way we cook varies from baking in ovens, cooking over a fire, and using electric stoves.Cooking is not only the means to satiate our hunger, but it is also an art, craft, and science, in which heat is applied to food for consumption. Food preparation using fire is a method unique to human beings and this method began two million years ago. One of the most ancient cooking methods is earth ovens or ground ovens. These are made with a trough on the ground, which traps the heat and enhances cooking speed.Transportation, trade, and commerce between countries fostered different varieties of ingredients. The invention of modern equipment like pottery, cutlery, and boiling water were a means to add more flavor when cooking. The 17th and 18th centuries defined the national identities of people. The Industrial Revolution brought sweeping developments in food products such as processed and canned foods. Fast food restaurants, cafeterias, and freezing methods came about in the 1900s.What are the different methods of cooking?The topic of cooking has always been associated with certain interesting facts. Do you know that white chocolate is not actually made from chocolate? It does not contain solid cocoa parts.It is mind-blowing that scientists are able to make diamonds from peanut butter. This is because peanut butter contains huge amounts of carbon. Also, grapes blow up into fireballs of plasma when put in an oven.Shredded cereals and cheese contain sawdust which helps them from clustering.There are three colors of bell peppers; red, yellow, and green. But they do not belong to the same plant and each of them has a unique set of qualities.Tomatoes were believed to have therapeutic qualities in the early Middle Ages to cure diarrhea and indigestion.Have you counted the number of rows on an ear of corn? The ears of corn occupy an even number of rows, which is 16.A junk food burger contains a lot of sodium and calories which are detrimental to your health.The three methods of cooking dishes are dry moist, heat cooking, and combination cooking. The application of heat varies in each cooking method.Different cooking methods such as grilling and steaming can be grouped under these three titles. Master chefs should have a thorough knowledge of these three methods of cooking.Dry heat cooking or deep frying is done without applying moisture or water, comprising broiling, grilling, roasting, baking, and sauteing. For broiling, an extra high heat is applied on one side of the food and can be used to cook fish, poultry, meats, fruits, and vegetables.Grilling also applies intense heat to cook meats fast. Fish, poultry, meats, and burgers are most suitable for grilling. Roasting is done in an oven at a very high temperature and will cook the food evenly.Baking is done at a lower temperature compared to roasting and it is used for baking bread, rolls, and cakes.The cooking method of sauteing requires small amounts of oil to be applied to food and then cooking on a low flame.Moist heat cooking requires liquid or steam for cooking. It includes poaching, simmering, boiling, and steaming.Poaching is a way of cooking in which food is immersed in hot water which is at a temperature between 140-180 F (60-82.2 C).Simmering requires higher temperatures than poaching, which go up to just below boiling point, which means that bubbles appear as you cook. The foods that can be cooked through simmering are meat, rice, vegetables, grains, legumes, soups, and stocks.Boiling also requires food to be immersed in water and as a result of many bubbles forming, the food will keep moving inside the vessel. A steady stream vents out and cooks the food evenly on all sides during steaming by maintaining moisture.Combination cooking is a combination of both methods. It has different methods such as braising and stewing.During braising, food is first sautéed in oil and then cooked in hot liquid by partially submerging it.Fibrous particles get separated in low flame during stewing, which reduces the amount of fat present in your meal. Food has to be completely immersed in water during this process.Chefs are professional cooks who are experts in preparing different cooking recipes.Recipes give us step-by-step instructions on how to cook particular meals.Chefs can obtain formal training from any good institution or be a trainee to an expert cook.We usually see chefs presenting different cooking shows on channels and this has been a favorite for many.Cooked Vs. Raw FoodHuman beings absorb all the nutrients required for their health from their food. Dietary fiber, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, water, and minerals are the major nutrients. There are macronutrients needed in some quantities and micronutrients needed in little quantities. Food can be eaten cooked or raw. Some people think that eating raw is the healthiest way to absorb the nutrients.They believe raw vegetables have more nutritional content.But, both have their nutritional benefits. A raw diet includes sprouted grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods.Many vegetarians eat raw fruits and vegetables and avoid animal meat. They believe that enzymes get destroyed and altered during the cooking process.Although raw food has its benefits, certain bacteria that are harmful to our body will get killed during the cooking process only.The digestive system in our body breaks up enzymes in food leading to digestion.These enzymes become deactivated under high temperatures. Those who eat raw food think that the enzymes get destroyed while cooking.A raw diet consists of richer nutrients than cooked food. Some minerals, like Vitamin B, C, and D get lost during cooking.Fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin D, E, and K remain unaltered while cooking. Roasting, steaming, and stir-frying are the most ideal methods to maintain nutrients while cooking.Most of the diseases associated with chicken are caused by cross-contamination when cooking raw chicken.Studies conducted in restaurants show that cross-contamination from uncooked chicken to the chopping board led to infectious diseases among the public. Contaminated meat also leads to many diseases, particularly when a chicken is not cooked properly at the right temperature.Lime juice contains a lot of vitamin C, antioxidants, and other major nutrients.Benefits Of CookingThe nutrients in our body need to be replaced with new ones every day. Water is the main component in every type of nutrition.Aged people and pregnant women should take more vitamin D combined with minerals, calcium, and iron to retain the nutritional value.A healthy diet consists of fruits and vegetables of different colors, whole grains, dairy products, and proteins.We have all heard of the innumerable benefits of olive oil. Olive oil has been used for home cooking by Europeans for centuries.It does not contain fat, carbohydrates, or protein and is rich in monounsaturated fat, which adds additional nutrients to dishes. Olive oil comes in different colors and flavors.Olive oil is categorized into virgin, extra-virgin, and pure depending upon the processing rate; olive oil is extracted from the fruit and not from grain, seed, or nut.One tablespoon of olive oil contains 119 calories, 0.49 oz (14 g) fat, very little sodium, 13% of the daily value of Vitamin E, 7% of the daily value of Vitamin K, and very little potassium. Daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.Butter enhances the taste of many food items.There are two kinds of butter which are salted butter and unsalted butter.The distinction between the two varieties of butter is salt. Unsalted butter is full of cream, whereas the salted variation has some salt added, even though the quantity varies according to different brands.Cooking breaks down many fibers and plant cell walls, which help our body digest and absorb nutrients.Cooking enhances the flavor of food, making it more delicious and increasing the presence of antioxidants such as beta-carotene and lutein.Beta-carotene decreases heart disease risks and studies show the antioxidant lycopene decreases the risk of prostate cancer in men.Many antioxidants released during cooking safeguard our bodies from dangerous particles known as free radicals.The boiling method can be applied for cooking meats and vegetables and the boiling point varies according to traditional and regional customs.Raw fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products often carry bacteria that can make you unwell.Most bacteria cannot survive temperatures beyond 140 F (60 C).Cooking successfully eliminates bacteria and diminishes the risk of food-borne illnesses.The milk that we drink is pasteurized (exposed to high temperatures to eliminate any dangerous bacteria).Recipes with foods such as asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, legumes, meat, fish, and poultry are healthier after cooking only. If one wants to be in good health, eating both raw and cooked food in required quantities is advisable.Amazing Facts About CookingFood comes in all varieties, like raw and cooked, and it is our prerogative to choose the best that suits our interests and taste. Below are a few amazing facts you should know.Many oils used for cooking are not good for the human body.Safflower oil is a heat-stable cooking oil for fried foods such as chips and French fries, and it is extracted from the seeds of the safflower plant.There are two varieties of safflower oil which are high-linoleic and high-oleic. The former is opulent in polyunsaturated fats, while the latter contains more monounsaturated fats.High-oleic is the more common type available in the market and has more vitamin E content, improving immunity.We hardly bother about the amazing facts associated with food. But some astonishing facts do exist with food. Do you know that pound cakes received their name from recipes of the original pound cakes that contained one pound of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour each?The most expensive pizza in the world took over 72 hours to prepare, it was made through home cooking by three chefs from Italy, and it cost $12,000.Children like to have candies. Carnauba wax, used to shine cars, is applied to candy to give its finishing glow.Studies say nutmeg has miraculous effects of altering our minds if we take it in huge quantities.The greatest destroyer of our teeth is acids and not sugar. Crackers stick to the teeth end up as a breeding ground for bacteria in our mouth.Crackers have holes in them because the holes help them to get rid of air bubbles during frying.Wild salmon is pink in color due to the excess intake of shrimps. However, the salmon seen in farms are white because of their different diet.Spicy foods like chili pepper contain capsaicin, which creates a burning feeling in our mouths.Interestingly, American cheese was invented in Switzerland.Until 2011, in Russia, beer was considered a soft drink, and people used to drink it in streets and parks.Kids worldwide like Nutella. Many hazelnuts worldwide are used for making Nutella, and some universities are trying to plant trees to help the world shortage.Chocolate was once used as currency in ancient Mayan civilization.The world-renowned company McDonald’s sells 6.5 million hamburgers every day.The water in bottles doesn’t get stale after the expiry date. It is the bottles that expire. The plastic bottle produces certain chemicals which change the taste of your cold water, making it less fresh.Bees drink nectar after collecting it and they vomit the honey inside the hive.It is interesting to learn that the Egyptians were given onion, garlic, and radish during ancient times instead of wages for the workers.Cauliflower comes in various colors though the only common color known to us is white.Cheese comes in the category of the Earth’s most stolen food. It is stolen for resale to restaurants or other markets.South America is home to many world-famous food recipes. Polenta and pasta (fideos), are famous in Argentina.
Cooking facts have been a fascinating topic since times immemorial.
