Why Food is Cooked

Why Food is Cooked

Reasons for Cooking Food

Development of Flavour and Aroma

  • Cooking helps in the enhancement of flavour and the aroma of food. This is due to a series of chemical reactions like the Maillard reaction (browning of food).
  • Certain ingredients like spices only release their distinctive taste when cooked or heated.

Improves Digestibility

  • Cooking modifies the structure of food and breaks down the fibre present, making it easier to chew and digest.
  • It destroys certain compounds that can inhibit the absorption of nutrients in the body.

Enhances Appearance

  • The colour, texture, and appearance of the food can be enhanced by cooking which makes the food more appealing.
  • For instance, the golden brown colour of toast or the sear on a steak is due to a process called Maillard reaction caused by cooking.

Destruction of Harmful Microorganisms

  • Cooking destroys most bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that may be present in the food.
  • It also deactivates harmful compounds or toxins that naturally occur in some foods.

Aids Nutrient Availability

  • Cooking certain foods, such as carrots and tomatoes, can enhance the availability of nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene respectively.
  • It can also help in breaking down proteins into amino acids and starch into simpler sugars.

Modification to Food during Cooking

Chemical changes

  • Maillard’s reaction results in the browning of the food and is responsible for flavour development.
  • Caramelization, another common chemical reaction, imparts a rich, sweet flavour to food and also contributes to browning.

Physical Changes

  • Gelatinization is a process where starch absorbs water and swells during heating. This is responsible for the thickening of sauces.
  • Coagulation occurs when heat results in protein denaturation, changing from a liquid state to solid. Egg whites setting during boiling is common example.
  • Evaporation happens when cooking at high heat as water content in the food is reduced.

Nutritional changes

  • Destroys certain anti-nutritional factors like oxidase and trypsin inhibitor in legumes.
  • Leads to loss of some nutrients such as vitamin C and the B vitamins due to high temperatures, exposure to air, and submersion in water.
  • Certain preparation techniques can lower nutrient losses during cooking, such as microwaving vegetables or steaming instead of boiling.