Why Do We Assume That Men Don’t Know How To Cook?

Everyday women discuss what they have to cook for their husbands and kids. But they never talk about what men will cook for us. Why, I ask them!  

It is always assumed that women have to cook for their husbands. Every woman just assumes that the man cannot cook, or chop or clean the kitchen. I just laugh as I find this completely ridiculous. Women talk about how educated and qualified they are. They say they love their independence. They talk about gender equality. But then these same women, when it comes to working in the kitchen, claim that men cannot function in a kitchen.

Again I am appalled. What is the difficulty in cooking a dish? Men operate heavy machinery and they can’t use a knife to chop vegetables? They can use glass test tubes and dangerous chemicals to form new chemicals which are used in industries like the health sector, but they can’t measure out spices and stir vegetables on the gas stove to make a dish? Seriously, today one gets masala packets which need to be just mixed with the meat and vegetables and left to cook. How hard can that be? I again pause and laugh.

Cooking should not be considered a burden or work exclusively for women. The men should pitch in and help. Come and step inside our kitchens. It is simple chemistry to cook up a meal. How about frying some potatoes in hot oil?

The most elite five star restaurants mostly have men chefs. If you look at the culinary world closely, you will see that even today, even in progressive countries like the USA, women are struggling to establish themselves as professional chefs. They complain of harassment in professional kitchens. It is the men who rule these kitchens which are equipped with some of the most complicated and expensive ovens.

Some say that women cannot work for a continuous period of 10-12 hours in the kitchen and work under extreme pressure. But at home, before guests are scheduled to arrive, we women toil and work the whole day to prepare a buffet of dishes. We wipe the sweat from our forehead and cook. Why don’t we expect the husband to come and help us?

We hear people getting excited when a man says he loves to cook. But if a woman says she does not know how to cook, people are shocked and aghast. Why do we encourage such comments? Why don’t we reply that why should every woman know how to cook?

And if your husband knows how to cook, then everyone will say how lucky you are! In my house, my husband has learnt to cook when he was a bachelor and living in the USA. He loves to cook. I also love to cook. We take turns in cooking as I honestly get tired of eating my own cooked meal every day.

I think it is a chore that should not face discrimination. Every person should decide on their own whether they want to cook or not. And to all the women in the world, please ask your husband to cook.  Why should the woman of the house always have to cook? Even research says that men who can cook are more attractive to women!

Image source: pexels

Anindita Nag

I love to write on women's issues. I strongly believe that every woman is

Learn More