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Have you ever had a meal at a restaurant and it was just so good, you thought, “I have to try to make this at home”? Perhaps you did so, but when you ate the meal, something was off. It looks the same, others are telling you its just as good as the original, but you just don’t feel the same as when you had this meal at the restaurant.
Is this a real thing? Does a meal really taste better when someone else makes it versus preparing it ourselves? There are a few reasons why we could find this could be the case.



One factor that could come into play is simply the work involved.
When you are making something yourself, it takes time and work on our part. You are likely thinking of the meal the entire time you are preparing it and are anticipating the, hopefully, delicious result. All of the time and work you spend preparing the food could certainly deteriorate our excitement for consuming it. 
Almost like painting a room in your house. When you are done, you don’t want to see another paint brush for the next week! 


The infamous “taste test” can also diminish our excitement for the meal. If you are one who likes to “season with the heart”, you likely taste your cooking several times throughout the cooking process to make sure the flavors are coming together as you planned. By the time you finish, you may be sick of the flavors you have already tasted several times, spoiling your appetite.


Another possibility— the time spent with all of the ingredients and smelling the aromas while preparing the dish. Many people believe that a large part of enjoying a meal is phycological. When you are around the same tastes and smells throughout the process of cooking a meal, this can cause a sort of mental digestion prior to actually eating it. When it is time to eat, your mind is almost over the initial desire for the meal. There can be a higher sense of anticipation when someone else is preparing your meal. 


Lastly, the phrase “cooking with love” could certainly have an effect! When someone loves to cook, isn’t it true that you can taste the love they put into it? They take pride in cooking as an art form and almost as a way to translate their love to others. 
Maybe that describes you but, if not, there is no shame in letting others put that love into your meals for you! We all need to sit back and let someone else cook for us at times.