Uzm. Psk. Buse Ergün

“Especially recently, we try different bread recipes, we make sugar-free cakes, we make cookies with three ingredients and store them in the freezer. We are in an uncertainty that is quite stressful for everyone, we are worried by seeing the news, and we cannot predict what we will do and believe. Stress creates uncertainty, uncertainty creates stress again and we react to this cycle by wonders in the kitchen.”

We are faced with a global epidemic where some of us try to take precautions by not leaving the house, some of us go out with the obligation to work and some of us do not care at all. As the lucky majority who could stay at home, we carried out our works from our home, followed the news, just in case we stocked up by buying excess products from the markets, challenged our friends on Instagram, spent time reading books, etc. After fulfilling our obligations and hobbies, we ran into the kitchens and started making breads, cakes, cookies, and different meals; we created interesting menus by trying different recipes. There are no guests coming, ready foods are in stock, there is perhaps more food in our house than ever before. So why do we spend time in the kitchen like crazy?

In fact, the answer to this question may be based on our behavior that existed in ancient times. In primitive times, people carved stones, produced materials they could spend time with, settled down and cultivated, played with fire, hunted, cooked food, etc. it was able to produce many different things. In times of stress and famine, they learned to store their essential nutrients in various ways. Thus, they spent stressful times more easily and met the difficult periods that may occur in the future thanks to their warehouses. Thus, production, storage and as a result, relaxation behavior became widespread. While this is the case in primitive times, let's come back to the recent past:

While we were living our childhood, perhaps the most beautiful period of our lives, our grandmothers, grandfathers and parents used, transformed and accumulated many things in the house for different purposes, even if everything was fine. The smell of freshly baked jam we came home from the street, the fresh pancakes we ate when we came from school and noodles, tomato paste, pickles, jam that are made during the summer holidays and stored for eating in the winter… We grew up by observing and experiencing all these behaviors, and now, as adults, we personally display them. Especially recently, we try different bread recipes, we make sugar-free cakes, we make cookies with three ingredients and store them in the freezer. We are in an uncertainty that is quite stressful for everyone, we are worried by seeing the news, and we cannot predict what we will do and believe. Stress creates uncertainty, uncertainty creates stress again and we react to this cycle by wonders in the kitchen.

The reason for this is both the convenience of production and storage, moved from primitive times to the present, and the desire to repeat peace in our childhood. Especially smell and taste; these are the senses that cannot be forgotten or continue to exist in our minds even if they cannot be remembered. In other words, due to our childhood and these behaviors that may be coded in human behavior, each of us are great kitchen chefs recently.

Keep calm and make some bread!