ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the significance of Food and Cooking Skills Education (FCSE) and highlights a range of issues concerning the definition, significance, acquisition and complexity of cooking skills and the academic status of FCSE in both the UK and other countries. It also explores the debate about whether FCSE has a significant role to play in the educational development of young people and is sufficiently academic to include in the curriculum. The book focuses on the outcome of an international survey of FCSE policy and pedagogy in thirty-five countries, compared to England and Wales. It draws together the debates and issues surrounding FCSE by answering the question 'Why should a society teach its (young) people how to cook, and why should policymakers support it?'