By Mutalib Jibril
Involving a combination of ingredients ,flavors and techniques to transform raw ingredients into nutritious and delicious meals, cooking refers to the process of preparing food by applying heat.
Some people often view cooking as a leisure activity because it offers them a chance to relax, find pleasure and express their creativity.
In most cases, it serves as a therapeutic practice, helping to alleviate stress. On the other hand, there are individuals who may perceive cooking as stressful due to various reasons.
A considerable number of male students and occasionally a smaller number of female students in various institutions of learning lack culinary skills.
These categories of students can be classified into three:
The Rich Kids: The “butter” children who are over pampered at home, rich kids are a set of students who lack cooking skills though not all of them.
They rely on purchasing food from restaurants within and outside the campus throughout their on campus.
The “Denkeli Geng”: These sets of students are not financially buoyant enough to buy food in restaurants like the “rich kids”, as such, they resort to eating the fastest food on campus.
You’ll see them in “Denkeli” joints morning, afternoon and evening, yet some of them have foodstuffs but lack cooking skills.
The Cooler Guys: I would also subdivide them into two: Those with foodstuff and those without foodstuffs.
Those with foodstuffs actually brought food from their respective homes ,they have the necessary cooking utensils and equipment ,yet they can’t cook .Hence , they rely on their girlfriends to prepare meals for them .
Those without foodstuffs: You’ll see these ones In front of female hostels at night waiting for “coolers ” from sisters.
It’s surprising to observe students with foodstuffs, necessary cooking utensils and equipment yet they can’t cook, because they don’t know how to cook.
One of the reasons for the headache of culinary skills is lack of exposure. Some students may not have had the opportunity to learn cooking skills while growing up.
Parents play a significant role in the lack of cooking skills among students, especially when household chores are predominantly handled by housemaids. When children grow up in an environment where tasks like cooking and laundry are taken care of by others, they are less likely to learn essential household skills.
Another reason is reliance on convenient options. The easy access to ready-to-eat meals, and food delivery services can result in individuals depending on those convenient options rather than acquiring cooking skills.
This can diminish their motivation to learn how to cook.
Also, fear of failure can cause some individuals to avoid cooking due to a fear of making mistakes or not being able to create a satisfactory meal. This lack of confidence can act as a barrier, preventing them from developing their cooking skills.
Gender norms in some households is also another factor. Cooking responsibilities are assigned to specific family members or genders (females) while clearing the surroundings ,washing the cars are regarded as the duties of males.
This is not ought to be and consequently, this can create a situation where some individuals do not have the opportunity to acquire cooking skills .
I encourage students , regardless of their gender ,who lack cooking skills to consider learning how to cook . It is never too late to acquire this valuable skill. Specifically ,for females it is important to note that lacking cooking skills can pose challenges in married life.
Imagine a scenario where your husband has to rely on eating in restaurants everyday because his wife cannot cook emphasizes the significance of developing cooking ability .
Acquiring culinary expertise not only allows you to enjoy the satisfaction of preparing your own meals but also grants you independence and a valuable life skill .