Cooking is a process in which foods are prepared with the help of thermal action (heat), they undergo physical, chemical and / or biological changes, which involve alterations in their appearance, texture, chemical composition, flavor and nutritional value., all with the function of turning them into something more digestible, palatable, nutritious and healthy due to the destruction of pathogens and microorganisms.
For cooking to take place, certain heat generators or cooking equipment are needed. Among them are: ovens, grills, fryers, bain-marie, steam cooker, pots, stoves or stoves, pans, among others. All of these are capable of converting certain types of energy into heat energy.
There are different cooking methods, the use of which will depend on the food to be cooked: some by their nature will require higher temperatures for cooking, while for others a minimum heat transfer is essential. The most common methods are:
- Cooking in aqueous medium; where the food is soaked in water, or steamed or in a water bath. There are types of cooking such as boiling, poaching, steaming, poaching, etc…
- Cooking in a fatty medium; It is the one that is made with oils and fats, such as frying in a pan, sautéing, sautéing, confit and brown.
- Cooking in an air environment; food is prepared in the absence of water and part of it evaporates and its flavor becomes concentrated. In this case they are gratin, roast in the oven, on the grill, on the grill, with ashes or underground.
