With the availability of quick as well as exotic dining options nowadays, some may wonder why anyone cooks at all.

But cooking is still regarded as a necessary skill by most Asians - a poll by Electrolux has 91 per cent of respondents holding this opinion.

So for those who cook, from whom or where do they learn to whip up a storm in the kitchen?

Singaporeans are above the Asian average, with 58 per cent saying their parents passed on cooking skills to them.

Experimenting in the kitchen is the second most common way of learning to cook, with 49 per cent saying their skills were self-taught.

In last place is the cooking class, with just 5 per cent of Asians saying they learned to cook from there, according to the poll.

It also appears that Asians do take the time and effort to prepare their food, with over 60 per cent preferring to prepare their food from scratch rather than using ready-made ingredients or eating pre-cooked meals.

And that boiling (43 per cent of respondents) and stir fry (41 per cent) were the most commonly used methods of preparing one's meals.

Is knowing how to cook important?

Well it definitelly is, if you are from the Philippines, as 97 per cent of Filippinos say cooking is a necessary skill.

The least likely to think so are Indonesians, with 76 per cent saying it is a necessary to know how to cook.

So now we know who values the home chef more.

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Other findings

Percentage of respondents who have breakfast at home daily

Thailand 64
Philippines 87
Singapore 70
Malaysia 70
Indonesia 73
India 93
China 65
Japan 74
Vietnam 35

Percentage of respondents who have lunch at home daily

Thailand 37
Philippines 61
Singapore 33
Malaysia 46
Indonesia 26
India 74
China 28
Japan 47
Vietnam 76

Percentage of respondents who have dinner at home daily

Thailand 75
Philippines 91
Singapore 74
Malaysia 84
Indonesia 76
India 94
China 65
Japan 88
Vietnam 96