Cooking evolved from the time of old. Basically, people at that time used wood and charcoal to make fire or flames for their cooking. There were two major cooking techniques in those days, which were –  “boiling” and “roasting”.

As time continued, baking methods emerged. People devised earth ovens and brick ovens as other cooking techniques. In India this earth oven is known as “tandoor”— usually for cooking tandoori.

An effort that was made right from the time of old is built upon today as more cooking methods have been developed over time. Food technologists have been working tirelessly in the area of creating cooking techniques that will benefit the generality of humans.

Food is to be enjoyed, and ways to make it enjoyable are felt through various cooking systems.

Below are various cooking techniques:

Braising: This is a method of cooking, particularly, a big meat chunk in liquid on slow heat, till the item tenderizes.

Boiling: This is a point where a liquid in the pot is so hot and is bubbling

Steaming: A food item is placed on a perforated object on a pot, it could be a metal perforated item, like a bowl strainer, or a basket-like woven object. The steam from the boiling water in the pot cooks the food ingredients.

Frying: Food ingredients are added to hot oil, and cooked, giving it a unique texture.

Baking: This is a method of food cooking by dry heat, particularly, dairy products.

Grilling: Seasoned small meat cuts are cooked on a pan with little oil on both sides, giving a brown look

Searing: Seasoned small meat cuts are quickly cooked on a pan with little oil on both sides, giving it a brown appearance. Usually, the item is rarely cooked. The purpose of this method is to hold the juice within the meat.

Roasting: This is another method of cooking by dry heat of a small or big chunk of meat in the oven.

Stir-Fry: Meat or vegetables cut into strips are cooked in a pan.

Sauteing: Similar to stir-fry, meat or vegetables, cut into strips or dice are cooked in a pan

Broiling: This is a method of cooking food items with the heat descending on the object from the top, an example is when using a salamander.

Blanching: Usually, cut vegetables are cooked in hot water for a few minutes and strained out immediately.

Stewing: This is cooking a combination of food items in a liquid in a pot.

Poaching: Similar to blanching, this is a method of cooking a food ingredient in hot water below boiling point for a longer time.

Microwave: This cannot be attributed to a kind of cooking as it performs various tasks.

Pressure Cooker: Small meat chunks are confined with liquid in a metal container, and cooked to boiling point. This process enables the content to cook quickly.

Paper Bag Cooking: Food ingredients are wrapped in foil paper, placed in an oven tray with a little water in it, and cooked in the oven.

Conclusion: Making food for our consumption did not start today.  Food is to be presented in various forms, as a result, efforts have to be made to bring about techniques to achieve this purpose. Food products can be seen today in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

Humans love varieties, and “varieties are the spice of life”. Have you been to a food stand and seen how dishes are displayed? Have you thought of the cooking process that brought about those dishes?

When you go to a bakery shop, you see that assortment of baked products. Have you thought of cooking techniques that were applied to bring about the display of those baked items?

You stand in the bakery shop, you perceive that appetizing aroma, have you thought of flavorings that went into the baked products during the process of cooking?

Any cooking method that is applied has a time frame: it could be 10, or 20 minutes; maybe an hour or more, depending on what is being cooked to achieve the desired result.

There are techniques that are applied to the food ingredients that make it appear in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Efforts will always continue on this path to usher in useful methods that make food cooking palatable.