Is cured food the same as cooked?

Here's the breakdown:

* Curing: This involves preserving food through chemical processes like salting, smoking, or drying. The goal is to inhibit bacterial growth and extend shelf life. Cured food may not be cooked at all, or it might be cooked after curing. Examples: ham, jerky, salami, cheese.

* Cooking: This involves applying heat to food, usually to make it edible and change its texture and flavor. Cooking doesn't necessarily preserve food, but it can be a part of the curing process. Examples: roasting a chicken, baking bread, frying eggs.

Here's a table summarizing the differences:

| Feature | Cured Food | Cooked Food |

|---|---|---|

| Method | Chemical processes (salting, smoking, drying) | Applying heat |

| Purpose | Preservation, flavor enhancement | Making edible, changing texture and flavor |

| Heat involved? | Not always | Always |

| Examples | Ham, jerky, salami, cheese | Roasted chicken, bread, eggs |

In short, cured food uses chemical processes to preserve, while cooked food uses heat to make it edible. Some food can be both cured and cooked, like smoked salmon.