As I previously mentioned, more and more men are finding cooking to be fun and enjoyable as it can lead to…well, to other things that are fun and enjoyable, like relationships, or maybe just an impressive fling with an impressionable interest.

However, there may be some more dastardly impetus behind the “gastrosexual” movement and coining of the term other than just to up ratings for male cooking celebrities such as Iron Chefs, the new Food Network Star, Aaron McCargo, Jr., or traveling stomachs such as one of my personal heroes, Anthony Bourdain, or the more eclectic (and non-discerning) star of Bizarre Foods, Andrew Zimmern (C’mon…the man volunteers to eat what normally passes as vomit inducing on shows like Fear Factor).

PurAsia has registered the domain name Gastrosexual.com and even goes so far as to include their commissioned 29 page report (PDF) on the phenomena in their “pardon our construction” splash which currently inhabits the site’s frontpage.

Now…the real question is not whether or not cooking for others involves some need for ego stroking, oyster based aphrodisia, or elsewise. The question is “Who in the name of Bacchinalian revelries is PurAsia?” The short answer is that they’re a new subsidiary(?) of Mars Foods based on pushing Asiatic spices and seasonings. TalkingRetail has more info here.

There’s no denying that Asian restaurants are hot right now, nor that they make great date spots, so it’s not so unimaginable that being able to prepare the same dishes doesn’t lend a certain je nest sais quios to the chef…but I do find it a bit capitalistically troubling that a spice company is now empowering a new term for an entire subculture which in turn spans across just about every other subculture. Sure, spices and seasonings have driven economies since time immemorial, but who knows where this will lead.

Hopefully to some tasty meals shared with others at the least.

Apparently, there is a term for men like me that enjoy cooking and see it as a life skill useful for something other than…well…staying alive. That term? Gastrosexual. While perhaps not being the best word creation ever, the term is being used to delineate one simple line of thinking: Cooking is sexy, and doing a good job of it is a way to attract others.

With the appeal of the hobby / profession among men growing daily thanks to macho celebrity chefs (without strange facial hair, funny accents, and 50lbs too many), it’s not hard to imagine that cooking is no longer relegated merely to women and the French.

Come on…it involves sharp knives, fire, and when done correctly earns the chef praise and knowledge of his ability to delight, entertain, and satisfy those around him.

For more on the rise of macho cooking and its place in modern western culture, see this article at the Daily Mail.