Too many people don't even know how to cook for themselves  I think the vast majority of younger middle class people can't cook. The self reported statistics always paint a picture that's very different from what I actually see in the world. I don't have any doubt that a hefty percentage of younger people 'think' that they know how to cook because they can combine condensed soup or the like with one other thing. And cooking does seem to be more common in a few specific subcultures. But for the most part I really don't see many middle class people under 35 cooking. At least anything more involved than dumping a couple premade things into a pot or oven, which I don't really count. I'd be surprised if the actual reality was above 20% of middle class people actually cooking on a semi-regular basis. Or even having the skills needed to do so.