Food And Cooking; How And Why Food Is Cooked

Food is whatever nourishes the body. Cooking is making food ready to eat. This is done chiefly by means of heat.

Food is exposed to the action of heat, (l) to make it more digestible, (2) to improve its flavor, (3) to kill any living things it may contain, and (4) to improve its appearance.

Many vegetable foods and a few animal foods, oysters for instance, may be eaten uncooked.