Why is it called cooking for scratch?

Cooking from scratch simply refers to preparing a dish using raw ingredients, rather than using pre-made or processed components. The term emphasizes starting with basic, unprocessed ingredients such as fresh vegetables, raw meats, and grains, rather than relying on convenience foods, frozen meals, or pre-packaged sauces and seasonings. Cooking from scratch allows for greater control over the ingredients, flavors, and nutritional content of the final dish.