Cooking at home continues to be a widespread practice in many Romanian households. 76% of Romanians believe that this habit will not disappear in the next 20 years, as shown by the study "How Romanians Approach Cooking", conducted by iVox and AGRICOLA.

However, the data confirms that men are less involved in family cooking activities compared to women. According to research conducted from June 4-17, 2024, over 80% of Romanians stated that home-cooked food is tastier than store-bought, while less than 19% appreciate store-bought food as being as good as homemade.

Regarding the specifics of dishes prepared, Romanians prefer traditional recipes (88%), followed by international cuisine specialties (35%), and vegan or vegetarian dishes (11%). "At Agricola, we are custodians of traditions and tastes of yesteryear. Therefore, we appreciate Romanians' preference for cooking at home and we are delighted to offer them high-quality products with which they can easily and quickly prepare delicious recipes, adapted to modern times.

We hope that cooking will no longer be perceived as a difficult or time-consuming activity. With the right ingredients, everyone can become a chef in their own kitchen, turning cooking into an inclusive activity involving all family members," said Cristian Călin, Public Relations and Communication Manager at Agricola Group.

Cooking remains a feminine attribute

Over 90% of Romanians stated that in the families they come from, mothers were the ones responsible for cooking and ensuring meals. Over 28% of women recall being frequently involved in meal preparation activities during childhood and adolescence, compared to 17% of men.

Although parents did not regularly involve them in kitchen activities during childhood, nearly 95% of Romanians now affirm that a child benefits from participating in meal preparation tasks, regardless of whether they are a girl or boy.

25% of women surveyed in the study stated that they cook daily, compared to only 18% of men. While 8% of men do not cook at all during a week, the percentage for women in the same category is only 2%.

Regarding kitchen expertise, women believe they have an advanced level of competence (32%) or intermediate (52%), compared to men, of whom only 16.5% consider themselves advanced and 48% intermediate.

"With numerous emotional, familial, economic, socio-cultural, and environmental sustainability implications, cooking at home will remain a complex behavioral practice, stable over time, closely linked to universal human needs for emotional safety, comfort, predictability, stability, fulfillment, personal utility, family belonging, and culture.

However, the fact that women continue to be responsible for this activity reflects a society with traditional characteristics regarding gender roles and stereotypes, family dynamics, and cultural expectations. Throughout history, Romanian women have been traditionally assigned roles in household care, cooking, and child rearing.

Even today, in urban and educated environments, there is still an expectation for women to prioritize these domestic responsibilities, often alongside complex professional and educational roles. In families where children witness these domestic realities, including cooking, managed almost exclusively by women, the probability of internalizing these roles and perpetuating these gender stereotypes is very high.

Thus, gender-specific expectations are transmitted from one generation to another, even though, from the perspective of professional development and financial independence, more and more women have made significant strides, demonstrating resources in professional, economic, and educational development that are qualitatively no different from those of men," explains Diana Stănculeanu, Psychotherapist, specialist in child and family emotional health.

Health comes first

The most important reasons why Romanians choose to cook at home are health (87%) and reducing expenses (75%). Cooking at home is also seen as a way to spend time with family and improve relationships (51%), develop creativity (36%), and relax (38.5%). Although Romanians associate cooking with positive feelings such as joy (52.7%), love (39%), and relaxation (52%), most consider lack of time (64%) and fatigue (48%) as factors that hinder them from cooking more often.

At the beginning of this year, Agricola launched a new communication campaign under the title "Uncelebrated Cooks" - an ode dedicated to home cooks: mothers, grandmothers, fathers, aunts, and all those who work in the kitchen after hours, to offer their loved ones the most delicious dishes, prepared with love, devotion, and of course, the best ingredients.

*The study on the cooking habits of Romanians was conducted by iVox at the request of Agricola, from June 4-17, 2024. The survey was conducted on a sample of 1105 individuals, both men and women, from urban and rural environments. The study is nationally representative.