TDD is Like Cooking: Why I Taste My Code as I Go

Manish Podiyal — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:10:32 +0000

I have a passion for software development and cooking is one of my favorite hobby. At first, they seem different. One is digital, the other is delicious! But they actually follow the same philosophy.

What is TDD/BDD anyway?
Some people think Test/Behavior-Driven Development (TDD/BDD) means writing every test case before you write any code. That’s not true.

It’s actually about a cycle:

Red: Write a small test that fails.
Green: Write just enough code to make it pass.
Refactor: Clean up the code.
Repeat: Start over from Step 1.

Here is how that looks in my kitchen:

1. The "Taste Profile" (BDD)
Before I start, I decide what the dish should be.

The Goal: "A spicy tomato soup with a hint of garlic."
The Initial State: Right now, I just have a pot of plain water.
The Result: If I taste it now, it fails. It’s not spicy, garlicky or even soup yet! This is my "failing case" that guides me.

2. Add and Test (TDD)
I don’t throw all the spices or salt in at once. I go step-by-step:

Step 1: I add chili. I taste it. Still not spicy enough? (Test Fails).
Step 2: I add more chili. I taste it again. Now it's spicy! (Test Passes).
Step 3: Now I add the garlic. I repeat the process.

3. Cleaning the Kitchen (Refactoring)
In code, we refactor to make it clean. In cooking, I might strain the soup to make it smooth or adjust the heat. I am not changing the flavor (the behavior); I am just making the quality better.

Why does this work?

No Surprises: I know exactly when the "flavor" is right.
Safety Net: If I add too much salt, I know immediately because I am testing (tasting) as I go.
Evolution: The recipe evolves with the dish, just like code evolves with the project.

My Advice
Don't just build it and hope for the best at the end. Taste your code as you go!

Cooking isn't just a hobby; it's a sandbox for software engineering

Manish Podiyal — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:18:47 +0000

> "Cooking isn't just a hobby; it's a sandbox for engineering. From 'debugging' flavors to architecting 'protein-rich' algorithms, the journey from following a recipe to creating your own patterns perfectly mirrors the evolution of an engineer's mindset."

Over the years in software development, I've realized that my kitchen and my IDE aren't that different.

When you start, you're just looking for a "stable build." You want to cook something that tastes good and more importantly - something you can debug. When a dish is too salty or a function throws an error, you analyze the "logs", adjust the ingredients, and try again. Every "failed" meal is just a bug fix that makes you a better Engineer and a better Cook.

From Documentation to Intuition

After years of daily commits and daily meals, something amazing happens: the documentation disappears.

You no longer need a step-by-step guide (or a spoon-fed recipe) to know how much salt or "syntax" to add. You stop just "following" and start architecting. You begin to recognize design patterns in flavors. You can invent your own "custom libraries" in the kitchen, creating recipes that are:

1. Optimized: No wasted movements or ingredients.
2. Balanced: Perfectly handled dependencies between spice and heat.
3. High Performance: Revenue-generating (or at least, protein-rich and fuel-efficient!)

Reaching "Pro" Status

This is what reaching the "Pro" level feels like. You’re no longer just following a script; you're writing the source code for a healthier, more creative life. You're becoming a better version of yourself - one commit and one meal at a time.

Time to ship the next meal. सुभुक्ताम् (Subhuktam) and Happy coding!

DEV Community: Manish Podiyal

TDD is Like Cooking: Why I Taste My Code as I Go

Cooking isn't just a hobby; it's a sandbox for software engineering

Reaching "Pro" Status