Task 2 model answer 26: Why are traditional methods of food preparation becoming less popular

Meals made in a time honoured fashion are not as common these days for a number of different reasons, as will now be explained.

The primary factor is that more modern variants of traditional dishes are often less time consuming to prepare. It is not uncommon for both parents to work outside of the home, meaning that there is less opportunity for people to spend the hours required in shopping, preparing and cooking, so opting for a quick and easy meal is often preferred.

Another significant cause for this decline is that the skills that in previous generations were handed down from parents to children are no longer considered as valuable, and as such, many younger people simply lack the required knowledge. Already many traditional skills such as bread making are no longer passed on, and this is illustrated in the rising consumption of convenience food among younger people.

A third contributor to the fall in traditional food preparation is also related to the modern global nature of most societies. Historically, traditional meals were common because the required ingredients were all that was available locally. These days, however, most large cities have shops and restaurants with food from all over the globe. A clear example of this influence is in the United Kingdom, where the most popular takeaway food is Indian cuisine.

Ultimately, there are many factors both societal and economic that are leading to the decline in traditional meals, and this is a trend that is likely to continue into the future.