s cooking with a wok in China , pork and bacon-wrapped corn cooked in a
barbecue smoker 'Cooking' is the process of preparing food by applying heat. Cooks select and combine ingredients using a wide range of tools
and methods. In the process, the flavor, texture, appearance, and chemical
properties of the ingredients can change. Cooking techniques and ingredients
vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and
cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training. Preparing food with heat or fire is an activity unique to humans, and some
scientists believe the advent of cooking played an important role in human evolution.[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090213-human-
diet-cooking.html] Most anthropologists believe that cooking fires first
developed around 250,000 years ago. The development of agriculture, commerce and
transportation between civilizations in different regions offered cooks many new
ingredients. New inventions and technologies, such as pottery for holding and
boiling water, expanded cooking techniques. Some modern cooks apply advanced
scientific techniques to food preparation.
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