The significance of home cooking within families

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore parents' and teens' perspectives on the significance of being able to cook.Design/methodology/approach – In this qualitative study, 22 families participated in in‐depth interviews that explored their perspectives on food in the family and the significance of being able to cook. The sample was socio‐economically diverse and drew from one urban and one rural community in British Columbia, Canada.Findings – The main themes from participants' descriptions of the significance of home cooking were that home cooking gave families control over their food supply, helped them to connect to others, enabled them to explore their own and others' food cultures and, in the case of teens, become more independent.Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that the familial motivations for home cooking go beyond concerns for health or home economy and would benefit from further exploration.Practical implications – For food producers and retailers, cooking instructors, ...

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