Why does cooked food generally taste better than raw food?

Question

Aren’t we just supplying heat to the food? What causes the drastic difference in taste?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

When you eat food your body breaks it down into tiny little bits which it can then transport to different places. Your body can then use all the nice things inside the food (vitamins and nutrients) to make energy and keep you healthy.

The reason cooked food tastes better is simply because some of the work to break down the food has already been done for you! The brain rewards you for doing things which help you survive and eating is a pretty important part of that. These cooked foods are safer and the energy is more readily available so your brain notices this and makes you feel pretty excited when you eat it.