Culinarians are required to have knowledge of food science, nutrition and diet and are responsible for preparing meals that are as pleasing to the eye as well as to the palate. After restaurants, their primary places of work include delicatessens and relatively large institutions such as hotels and hospitals.

«Home-cooking» may be associated with comfort food, and some commercially produced foods are presented through advertising or packaging as having been «home-cooked», regardless of their actual origin. Commercial cooking methods have evolved to a point where many of the ingredients and techniques used at home.

The expansion of agriculture, commerce, trade and transportation between civilizations in different regions offered cooks many new ingredients. New inventions and technologies, such as the invention of pottery for holding and boiling water, expanded cooking techniques. Some cooks apply scientific techniques.