Why do we usually cook meat or fish, even though it is possible to eat both raw?
- To reduce biological risk (germs, toxins)
- To make food easier to digest
- To make food more appetizing (taste, smell, texture)
How does cooking work?
- Heat convection: immersion in a hot liquid or gas Examples: water (cooking), oil (frying), air (oven), steam (pressure cooker)
- Heat conduction: contact with a hot surface (pan, hot stone, grill, casserole dish)
- Electromagnetic radiation: radio waves (microwave oven), infra-red light (infra-red oven, embers, barbecue)