The World Cooking Index, which has 2022 figures, says folks, worldwide, prepared an average of 6.4 home-cooked meals per week, slightly, significantly down from 6.7 in 2021.
According to this ranking, people in El Salvador cooked most frequently on a daily basis, followed by Venezuela and France.
The Central American country had the highest frequency of cooking, with Salvadoreans preparing 8.8 meals weekly. On the menu are often dishes like popusas (stuffed rice flour flatbread), refried beans, carne guisada (a beef dish), fried yuca.
Following closely behind, an average of 8.6 meals is cooked per week in Venezuela, placing it second in the list of world’s top cooking nations. Possessing a culture of sharing meals, Venezuelans love their arepas (corn cakes) and pabellón criollo (rice with beef stew).
Perhaps it is no surprise that France, with it deathless love afair with food, recorded an average of 8.6 home-cooked meals per week and breakfasts/lunches/dinners made at home remain central to daily life.
8.5 meals per week are prepared in Laotian homes. Laap (meat salad), Khao Niao (sticky rice), Khao Piak Sen (rice noodle soup) are some of the country's most popular dishes
The Emerald Isle reported an average of 8.5 home-cooked meals per week in 2022. In 2014, the Irish Independent reported about one in five Irish people dedicated an hour or more each day to preparing meals. Irish stew is the national dish.
Panama’s food is mix of food traditions reflecting its indigenous communities, Spanish heritage, African influences, creating a rich mix of flavours. In 2022, Panamanians prepared an average of 8.3 home-cooked meals each week.
The land of bratwurst, schnitzel, currywurst, sauerkraut averaged 8.3 home-cooked meals per week in 2022. A 2019 Statista revealed that 42.9 per cent of Germans typically spent under half an hour making their evening meals during the week.
Yes, Italy had to be on this list, with 8.2 home-cooked meals per week. Staples like wine, cured meats, cheeses, gelatos, pizzas, pasta, coffee define the Italian food culture.
Why India is not No 1 is puzzling, but we do 5.9 home-cooked meals per week. Earlier, a 2014 study by the Germany-based research firm GfK found that Indians spent more than 13 hours each week in the kitchen.