The coronavirus pandemic has created a new generation of home cooks, who have found that cooking not only provides sustenance but an opportunity for connection and mindfulness explains Adamantia Velonis, Founder, Marmalade + Kindness.
Pandemic-led renaissance in home cooking
Since the world started feeling the effects of the coronavirus in early March, something began to shift in our relationship to cooking. With the closure of restaurants, cafes and pubs, and some early concerns regarding the safety of food delivery services, home cooking fast became the new normal, with research in the US showing that people are developing a newfound confidence in the kitchen that is likely to continue beyond the pandemic.
Rather than seeing cooking as a chore to pack into an increasingly long day people have rediscovered the joys of cooking and its mental health benefits. In a trend that is being dubbed ‘cooking therapy’ or ‘mindful cooking,’ people are turning to cooking to manage anxiety and create connection as it is deeply immersive and engages all the senses.
Cooking as therapy
Mindfulness is an approach that can be applied to many daily activities to cultivate an awareness of the here and now. Mindful cooking (not to be confused with ‘mindful eating’) challenges us to bring awareness to the providence of ingredients, our intention during the cooking process, the rituals of sharing meals and ultimately the impact of our food choices on our body and the planet. It uses the cooking process to create a mental ‘pause’ – similar to a formal mediation practice – where you are focused on the task at hand and enter a ‘flow’ state. This is beneficial because it creates distance from negative thoughts and the space to process emotions, while the cumulative effects of honing our culinary skills, builds confidence that can be translated to other aspects of life.
The science backs these benefits. Several studies show creative activities, like baking can support stress management, while another study found that “maker” activities, like cooking, are particularly beneficial for young adults.
Effects on the restaurant industry
As people cook more from home, this doesn’t signal the decline of the restaurant or café – there will always be a need for these spaces to provide comfort and meaning outside the home; the willingness to continue to order food delivery services to support local businesses during the pandemic is telling. Rather, the more people cook, the more they care about where their food comes from and what has gone into it.
The rise in home cooking has now seen the younger generations reclaim the connection between food, family and culture, and the need for a more sustainable food system that better manages food waste. There is an opportunity for restaurants to support home cooking efforts (in the UK restaurants have created DIY meal kits so people can recreate their favourite restaurant meals at home), and to offer food education.
The long-term impact of the pandemic on lifestyle trends is still unclear. But with home cooking entering a renaissance, the future is now being created by a younger generation of foodies who are more aware of the physical, mental and systemic benefits of cooking, and who expect to take more out of what they’re cooking than simply the calories and the flavours.
