Cooking and baking

Cooking involves preparing food by applying heat through methods like boiling, frying, or grilling, which transforms raw ingredients into a flavorful dish. Baking, a specific type of cooking, uses dry heat in an enclosed space such as an oven to cook foods like bread, cakes, and pastries. Both processes involve chemical and physical changes—like starches softening or proteins denaturing—that develop flavors, textures, and aromas. The key difference is that cooking covers various techniques with different heat sources, whereas baking specifically refers to heat applied in an enclosed environment for baked goods.