Question 1

What is cooking?

Accepted Answer

Cooking is the process of preparing food by using heat. It helps make the food safe to eat and can also make it taste better.

Question 2

Why do we need to know about cooking techniques?

Accepted Answer

Knowing cooking techniques helps us make food that is tasty and safe to eat. It also lets us try different recipes and make our own creations.

Question 3

What is boiling?

Accepted Answer

Boiling is when you heat water until it bubbles a lot. This is used to cook foods like pasta or eggs.

Question 4

How does baking work?

Accepted Answer

Baking means cooking food inside an oven. The heat from the oven cooks the food all the way through, making things like cakes and bread.

Question 5

What is frying?

Accepted Answer

Frying is cooking food in hot oil. It makes food crispy on the outside and is used for things like french fries.

Question 6

Why does food change color when we cook it?

Accepted Answer

Food changes color because it reacts to the heat. For example, bread turns brown because the heat makes the outside of the bread toast.

Question 7

What is steaming in cooking?

Accepted Answer

Steaming cooks food with hot steam from boiling water. It's a gentle way to cook and keeps foods like vegetables full of vitamins.

Question 8

Why do some foods smell stronger when cooked?

Accepted Answer

Cooking releases the smell of the food because it changes the way the food's molecules are put together. This can make yummy smells fill the air.

Question 9

How do we know when meat is cooked?

Accepted Answer

Meat is safely cooked when it changes color, like from pink to brown, or you can use a thermometer to check if it's hot enough inside.

Question 10

What is the purpose of marinating meat?

Accepted Answer

Marinating meat means soaking it in a sauce before cooking. This adds flavor and can make the meat softer to eat.

Question 11

Why do we use spices in cooking?

Accepted Answer

Spices add different flavors and smells to the food. They can make food taste spicy, sweet, or even a bit sour.

Question 12

What is roasting?

Accepted Answer

Roasting is cooking food in an oven with dry heat. It makes food like chicken crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Question 13

How do herbs change the way food tastes?

Accepted Answer

Herbs, like basil or parsley, add fresh flavors to dishes. They can make food taste more exciting and enjoyable.

Question 14

What is grilling?

Accepted Answer

Grilling is cooking food over an open flame or heated surface. It's great for making burgers and giving food a smoky flavor.

Question 15

Why does bread rise when we bake it?

Accepted Answer

Yeast in the bread dough creates tiny bubbles of gas when warm, which makes the dough rise. This is why bread becomes fluffy.

Question 16

What is sautéing?

Accepted Answer

Sautéing means cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil or butter. It's often used for vegetables and small pieces of meat.

Question 17

How does salt make food taste better?

Accepted Answer

Salt brings out the natural flavors in food. It can make sweet things taste sweeter and savory things taste more savory.

Question 18

What is the difference between soup and stew?

Accepted Answer

Soup is usually lighter with more liquid, like broth. Stew is thicker with less liquid and often has big pieces of meat and vegetables.

Question 19

Why do cookies get hard if left out too long?

Accepted Answer

Cookies get hard because they lose moisture to the air. Keeping them in a sealed container helps them stay soft and chewy.

Question 20

What does it mean to braise food?

Accepted Answer

Braising is cooking food slowly in a bit of liquid after first browning it. This makes tough meat extra tender and full of flavor.

The Science of Cooking: Understanding Culinary Techniques - 20 FAQs Explained Simply