Fascinating Ways in Which Tech Has Changed the Culinary World
It is often said that food is a way to bring people closer together. A dinner date is, often, the first idea that many young partners come up with. Cooking for your partner is often thought of as an incredibly romantic gesture. Eating out with friends is a great bonding experience. And sharing recipes with people on the internet is a great way to learn new things, and teach someone something.
All this to say, food is a way to learn something, not just about other people, but about ourselves as well. Throughout history, different cultures have come up with different cooking techniques. However, nothing has had as big of an impact on the culinary world as the rapid rise of modern technology.
The Rise of Tech
Modern tech is growing at an exponential rate. It seems like, every day there are new gadgets, designed to tackle some aspect of our life. From machines that can help with fitness to services like PayPal, which operates very similarly to a bank, and even lets you make deposits at gambling websites, technology is certainly improving drastically in the 21st century.
It is, no wonder then, that many new trends in cooking have arisen as a product of technological development. But, we aren’t just talking about new features on stoves or microwaves. In this article, we would like to look at technological advancements that have significantly impacted the culinary world, and have led to new recipes. Without further ado, let us delve into the meat and potatoes.
Air Fryers
In 2005, a Dutch inventor named Fred Van Der Weij began work on a new invention; a machine that could fry your food without having to dip it in oil. Though the healthy living craze hadn’t reached its peak in 2005, it was already beginning to brew in popular culture. Today, we’ve all embraced the art of healthy eating, but that doesn’t mean we want to stop eating the good stuff.
Luckily, five years after he began working on it, Van Der Weij managed to finish the Air Fryer, and pretty soon the tool was available at most tech stores in the world. The device radiates heat from an element near the food. It then makes use of a fan to spread the heated air throughout, resulting in a quick cooking process, which significantly reduces the need for oil.
The invention of the air fryer has led to some incredible new twists on older, deep-frying-based recipes. But, thanks to the reduction of oil, these new recipes are half-as-caloric, and much healthier. It is no wonder that the air fryer has become a staple of most “health nuts’” kitchen.
Smart Appliances
Affixing the word smart to a gadget is a guaranteed “wow-factor.” Most of us are familiar with the “smartphone” or the “smart TV.” But, have you heard of the smart fridge? For those who don’t know, a smart refrigerator is a relatively new household appliance in the world of tech. Equipped with a censor capable of detecting shifts in temperature and humidity, the fridge can adjust its output to match.
On top of that, most smart fridges are capable of keeping track of the food stored inside of them. And with an access to the internet, you can bet that you will never forget another item from the grocery store ever again. Just get on your phone, and check to see what the fridge has inside. Smart refrigerators are just a step in the direction towards the future though.
On the opposite side of cold is heat, and the oven is definitely the kitchen appliance most associated with heat. Can you believe that smart ovens are a thing in 2024? By connecting to the internet, you can control an oven’s output remotely, using a mobile app on your phone. A lot of the best smart ovens allow you to switch them on and off remotely as well.
Who knows what the future holds in terms of “smart appliances.” We may just see a time, very soon, when our entire house is automated and connected to the internet. Though science fiction writers have predicted stuff like that, no fan ever thought that it would, one day, come true. But, if things continue to develop the way they have, it may just be reality sooner than many of us expect.
The Internet
As with all things, the internet has had a huge influence on the culinary world. Some of the most frequented websites online right now are recipe websites for basic meals. The reason for this is that a lot of people no longer have the desire to eat our or order take away for various reasons, some involving health, others finance, and some both.
Apart from basic cooking tips, there are the recipe sites that focus on more complex meals. Even an amateur can prepare an impeccable meal in 2024. All they have to do is follow some top-notch recipes presented online. There is no need to purchase cook books anymore, as you can get the same knowledge for absolutely free, with just the push of a button.
It isn’t just websites that are doing well. YouTube has a ton of excellent cooking shows, some of which focus on culinary classics, like beef stew, hamburgers, and pasta. Others, however, try to create something strange, yet delicious. Particularly popular are the YouTube and Tik Tok videos which attempt to re-create food from TV and film; a fun way to attract an audience interested in both or either.
The Future of Cooking
The exciting developments that we’ve seen in cooking paint a pretty vivid picture of what is to come. Could we see a day when artificial intelligence is implemented in kitchen appliances, in order to completely remove the need for the human touch? While it may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, if the trends set nowadays are anything to go by, it may just become reality soon.
