A Very Special Revolution Brought by Cooking: Why the Kitchen Again?

Rediscovering the value of ‘cooking’ as a revolution in play, healing, and relationships beyond simple meals.

• Examine how cooking became a joyful play culture after the pandemic.
• Understand changing social relationships and generational trends through cooking.
• Suggest positive changes that small everyday cooking can bring to your life.

What did you have for dinner today? Many probably opened a delivery app or heated a ready meal (HMR). We live in the most convenient era in history for meals. Yet, it’s hard to shake the feeling that something important is being missed amid this convenience. As the transmission of cooking skills declines worldwide, an interesting counter-movement is underway. This article explores how the act of ‘cooking’ goes beyond simply filling the stomach to transform our lives and the world.

Cooking Becomes the Most Enjoyable Play in the World

At some point, cooking shifted from ‘work’ to ‘play.’ Especially the COVID-19 pandemic made us rediscover the meaning of home, and within it, the value of the kitchen.

The Global Kitchen Born from the Pandemic: Dalgona Coffee and Sourdough

In spring 2020, the ‘Dalgona Coffee’ craze that started in Korea spread worldwide. This simple recipe—coffee, sugar, and water whipped over 400 times—became the perfect “killing time” pastime for people exhausted by social distancing. People shared their successes and failures on social media, creating a sense of connection despite isolation.

Around the same time, sourdough baking became popular in the West. Due to yeast shortages, people began cultivating their own starters with just flour and water to bake bread. This was more than baking bread; it was a process of caring for a living organism (the starter), practicing patience, and accepting unpredictable results. It was a healing experience that offered small achievements and a sense of control in uncertain times.

These two phenomena clearly demonstrated that cooking can be a powerful tool for creative enjoyment, emotional stability, and social connection beyond mere survival labor.

Evolution of Cooking Shows: From ‘Chef’s Cooking’ to ‘My Cooking’

The portrayal of cooking in media has changed. Whereas past cooking shows showcased experts’ flashy skills, now practical, everyday content that viewers can follow themselves is dominant.

At the center is Baek Jong-won, who sparked the “Home Cook Baek Teacher” phenomenon. His philosophy that “anyone can cook” greatly lowered the barriers to cooking. This aligns with British star chef Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” campaign. While Baek gave confidence to Korean ‘cooking novices’ with easy recipes, Jamie Oliver raised global awareness of cooking education through social messages about healthy eating. Though their approaches differ, both exemplify how cooking can change individuals and society.

People Changing the Kitchen Landscape

As perceptions of cooking change, so do the kitchen’s owners. Cooking is no longer the exclusive domain of a particular gender or generation.

From ‘Yoseknam’ to ‘Jibyonam’ Era

Where cooking by men was once a special occasion event, it has now become everyday life. Beyond ‘Yoseknam’ (“sexy men who cook”), the new trend is ‘Jibyonam’—men who enjoy cooking at home. The rise in men’s online grocery shopping and meal kit use during COVID-19 supports this. It means men are discovering new joy and achievement through cooking, beyond just sharing household chores.

The MZ Generation’s ‘Hip’ Cooking Styles

The saying “young people don’t cook these days” may be a prejudice. The MZ generation learns recipes via YouTube and TikTok and uses cooking not just to eat but as a means of self-expression by sharing on social media. This reflects the ‘creator economy’ era where daily life becomes content. For the MZ generation, cooking is not a survival skill but one of the most ‘hip’ ways to showcase personality and style. They popularize creative recipes like ‘cucumber toast’ and ‘rice paper buldak wraps’ that older generations could never imagine.

Cooking Builds Relationships and Reflects Society

Though cooking seems deeply personal, it mirrors our social relationships and structures.

In Korean society, preparing holiday foods has long been a hot-button issue. Recently, however, “preparing and cleaning together” has become the new holiday culture. Scenes of husbands and wives, sons and daughters-in-law cooking pancakes together represent a small revolution showing changing gender role perceptions and more equal family relationships through cooking.

Thus, cooking is not just a skill to make food but an important social activity to communicate with family and friends and form new relationships.

Conclusion

Why should we cook again? The reason is not grand. You don’t need to be a perfect chef. Cooking is an act that helps us reclaim many things we lost.

• Key Summary

  1. Cooking as Play: Cooking is no longer labor but a joyful play like Dalgona coffee and a healing process like sourdough.
  2. Tool for Building Relationships: Cooking transcends gender and generation boundaries, promoting communication and creating equal relationships as seen in changing holiday cultures.
  3. Regaining Control of Life: Cooking yourself is a small revolution to escape ultra-processed foods, decide what you eat, and rediscover the pleasure of taste.

How about starting with a very simple dish tonight? A bowl of soybean paste stew made from ingredients in your fridge might be the starting point for amazing changes in your life.