Let him cook. Well, not on a podcast, though. Although television broadcasts cooking shows loved by billions of viewers, with celebrity chefs whipping up tasty dishes, that doesn’t seem to happen for podcasts. Cooking content appears to summon a different interest in the podcasting world. Although interest in podcasting has recently spiked in almost all genres, cooking podcasts remain underrepresented. The question is, why?

The Visual Element of Cooking

One reason majorly attributed to making cooking podcasts not retain regular listeners is that people are visually conscious about cooking. When one thinks of cooking, one’s mind is often explosion-like with bright colors, fresh, sizzling pans, and all the techniques from top chefs down to the newest beginners. Cooking is a sensory experience with a heavy dose of sight, sound, and smell. It takes so much out of the character without the visual side, making it hard for the person listening to understand what is being said fully.

Complex Instructions in Audio Form

Often, cooking is associated with complex instructions, measured ingredients, and techniques. This can all be a bit difficult to boil down into only an audio format. It must be frustrating and confusing for the listeners to hear what the host is explaining, from the julienning of a carrot to the perfect sear on a steak. Unlike a visual platform where one can see the process, podcasts solely depend on one’s visualization of steps, which can result in missteps and mistakes in the kitchen.

Time and Convenience Factors

Podcasts are best listened to while commuting, exercising, or whenever one cannot cook. The convenience of listening to a podcast doesn’t go very well with the burdens of following a recipe or cooking alongside a host. People would prefer to watch a video tutorial or read a recipe when they’re about to cook, making a podcast less practical.

Niche Audience

In relation, cooking podcasts may target smaller niche audiences. While food enthusiasts and home cooks would be engaged in culinary discussions or interested in talking to chefs, this cooking content has little to offer to the general podcast audience. Other genres, such as true crime, business, or comedy, seem to gain much more interest than cooking. This limited appeal makes it harder for cooking podcasts to reach a broader audience.

Conclusion

Although cooking podcasts are special in content, the challenges they must overcome to become more popular are enormous. They lack visual elements, and the dynamics and convenience factor associated with describing the cooking process as an audio medium add to their limited appeal. However, cooking podcasts still offer a niche yet rich experience for those who love food and relish culinary discussions.