‘Those Who Started Cooking, Why Did You Begin?’: People Share Their Kitchen Origin Stories

Cooking may start as a necessity and later develop into a hobby or simply a way to eat better. A recent conversation on the Reddit forum r/CasualConversation prompted people to discuss the first time they learned to cook for themselves. Their reasons ranged from moving out of the family home to discovering an unexpected passion for cooking.

The discussion started when u/Longjumping-Stand958 asked, "People that started cooking, why did you begin?"

The original poster (OP) also said people usually start cooking because no one else in the household does, either because others are busy or because they want their meals prepared to their own tastes. The poster said they started cooking in their early teens because neither of their parents prepared food the way they preferred. They still cook and enjoy the results!

For many commenters, financial independence was the turning point. One person said they started cooking after moving out because the cost of ordering food had added up. What began as a way to save money later became a way to relax after work. Another said they were fed up with paying for food that was not very good and found they preferred cooking for themselves.

Another common reason was going to college. One commenter explained that while studying away from home, they learned to cook because eating out so often was too expensive. They now prepare large quantities of food and eat the same meals over several days to save time and effort.

However, not everyone treats cooking as a creative activity. This commenter explained that they rotate among a small number of dishes, change the seasonings and stick to recipes they already know. For them, cooking is simply a life skill.

Others, on the other hand, discovered their interest in cooking much earlier. One Reddit user remembered watching their mother and grandmother cook, while another said a children's cookbook first introduced them to the kitchen. A third said their parents had taught them to cook so they would know how to feed themselves as adults. For others, the motivation was hunger. One commenter said they started cooking because there was no ready-to-eat food available.

Another commenter said that a lack of money and leaving home early meant they had to learn to survive.

The thread also included a story about someone who said cooking had become a calling. They had taught themselves to cook because their mother was rarely at home and was not good at cooking. But as fate would have it, "[they are now] opening a food truck and a separate take-out restaurant."