4 . As a little girl, I’d sit in the kitchen and watch my mother cook, but I didn’t really get into cooking. When I graduated from college and moved lo Washington DC, I left all of my friends behind. There were no new roommates. I was on my own and felt lonely. Home-cooked meals were my best attempt at changing my condition.

So, I started calling my mom and asking for the recipes (食谱) for my favorite dishes. It turned out that my mom didn’t have any recipes. She couldn’t give me a single measurement (计量) for any dish. She grew up in the kitchen with her mom too, and my grandma shared her knowledge through oral (口头的) tradition. Then it was my turn. My mom taught me how to “measure with my heart” when cooking. I learned to cook by tasting and feeling my food. And my food was pretty good. Soon enough, everyone was asking me for the recipes. That was why Bun Bo Bae, my cooking blog, came into being in 2019.

Bun Bo Bae was a space for me to put what I learned into writing. I didn’t want all of the secret knowledge behind dishes like my mom’s noodles and my dad’s tomato soup to disappear if the oral tradition ended one day. I wanted to write down every piece of advice I was given in detail.

These days, I experiment more. I’m not as strict with myself about recreating the dishes exactly as I remember about eating them. I use seasonal food materials when I can’t find some items. My food blog and flower count grew, and so did my confidence in the kitchen.

Bun Bo Bae also increased my confidence at work and gave me a space to write about what I love. It has connected me to countless new Internet friends.

Most importantly, writing for Bun Bo Bae has taught me that celebrating my culture doesn’t have to be about perfectly recreating my parents’ tradition. It’s about mixing what I’ve been taught with my own experiences, and cooking up something entirely new.

5 . The benefits of cooking games for children

Various cooking games for children that are available online are more than just a fun pastime activity.     1     Here are some information on how encouraging children to play online cooking games may educate them and contribute to their sense of independence and freedom.

    2     Free online cooking games encourage kids to try new things and think outside the box by letting them experiment with ingredients, recipes, and preparation methods. Such games can help kids develop a growth mindset, creativity, and the freedom to make their own choices.

Online cooking games promote math and reading skills. The act of cooking, whether virtual or in the real world, requires a lot of counting and measuring, which promotes the development of fundamental mathematical abilities. Additionally, many free cooking games online require kids to read the recipes or lists of ingredients and then follow the directions.     3    

Cooking games boost confidence and independence. When kids finish a task actively, they feel good about themselves and proud of what they’ve done. For example, some creative games allow kids to experiment with a chef’s role.     4     When kids have trust in their own skills, they are more likely to grow up with a feeling of confidence, responsibility, and independence.

Cooking games improve social skills. Playing multiplayer games allows children to interact with others, solve problems in cooperation, and so on.     5     Online games can help them develop self-esteem and practice their communication skills, so they eventually feel more confident making friends in real life.