From a young age, Ms Linda Yi was drawn to the kitchen and loved watching her parents make Sichuan dishes inspired by their native Chengdu.

But when she asked them to go over a step or recipe she had watched them make dozens of times, they would reply the same way: “You still don’t remember?”

In her mid-20s, when she became one of the 4.4 per cent of adults aged 18 to 44 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, her relationship to cooking changed for the better.

The diagnosis helped her “see the areas of my brain that need support”, and to adapt, as many cooks with the disorder have.

For many adults, ADHD symptoms can present differently than they do in children, and in some cases, become more severe amid job, relationship and household stressors, according to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And these challenges prove especially true in the kitchen.

One of the major issues, YouTube creator Jessica McCabe explains in her book, How To ADHD, relates to “executive function”, or the cognitive processes that tell you how to prioritise tasks, sustain attention and effectively plan for long- and short-term goals.

These play an important role whether you are shopping for ingredients or making sure your food does not overcook.

“The executive function system is like the conductor of your brain’s orchestra,” said Dr Marcy Caldwell, owner and director of the Center for ADHD, a therapy and coaching practice based in Philadelphia.

She cites cooking as being among the most complex activities calling for executive function. It can be overwhelming for her patients because it generally happens at the end of the day, when energy is depleted and medication may be wearing off.

For Ms Yi, now...