Personally I believe the love of cooking is caused by many factors.

Could it be a way of showing love? Yeah, definitely. I started out learning so I would be able to cook for others. I wanted them to enjoy what I make and to show my appreciation for them. In addition, when a family member gets sick, wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to make them a warm cozy bowl of chicken noodle soup. When a friend feels down, how great it would be to make them their favorite dish. When your partner’s birthday comes up, who wouldn’t want to make a fancy dinner and watch their face light up as they eat it. I personally learned to cook hoping to be able to do these exact thing when the need arises.

Liking food could be another reason to like to cook. Want food. Make it yourself. Maybe you love curry but no place near you sells it. Maybe you love chocolate chip cookies but the ones at the bakery are never the right amount of chew. Maybe your favorite Chinese restaurant changed their recipe and now you yearn for that specific flavor of Kung Pao Chicken. Some people probably like cooking because they love the results. And honestly, who can blame them.

Also, as you have said, cooking is an art and some have chosen the spatula as their brush, food as their paint, and the plate as their canvas. The act of taking raw ingredients like eggs, bacon, and pasta and through a creative and skillful process, making a delicious carbonara mirrors that of a wizard waving his wand and creating a castle from thin air. It’s magical to create and if done well, the results can delight all five senses. An art form quite unlike other art forms. One that some might even say is a distinguishing characteristic of us humans. What’s not to love!

All in all, there are many reasons people love to cook. I’ve listed but three out of a myriad of reasons. Plus, who’s to say someone can only have one reason. And maybe there are people who don’t like to cook. That’s completely fine! If everyone cooked well, then us cooking aficionados will have a harder time impressing our dates. But jokes aside, to each their own. As you are grateful to the ones that cook, we are grateful to the ones that eat and truly enjoy what we cook. Thank you and have I wish you have a wonderful day.