20. It is in the preparation of food, and of meat in particular, that
one of the marked differences between uncivilized and civilized man is
evident. Raw meat, which is preferred by the savage, does not appeal to
the appetite of most civilized persons; in fact, to the majority of them
the idea of using it for food is disgusting. Therefore, civilized man
prepares his meat before eating it, and the higher his culture, the more
perfect are his methods of preparation.
While it is probably true that most of the methods of cookery render
meat less easy to digest than in its raw condition, this disadvantage is
offset by the several purposes for which this food is cooked. Meat is
cooked chiefly to loosen and soften the connective tissue and thus cause
the muscle tissues to be exposed more fully to the action of the
digestive juices. Another important reason for cooking meat is that
subjecting it to the action of heat helps to kill bacteria and
parasites. In addition, meat is cooked to make it more attractive to the
eye and to develop and improve its flavor.