Technology is changing everything in our world. How is it changing our food? We turn to our favorite chefs for answers
I think technology will facilitate easier access to food, hence the success of the delivery apps. There are definitely more ingenious ways we can use technology to advance food and gastronomy in terms of techniques of cooking like vacuum-cooking or sous-vide, precision cooking, and the like. Sous-vide and water immersion circulators are what I mostly use to produce superior quality cooking with most proteins and vegetables. Back in Paris, I used Thermomix for sauces, purees, and condiments and Pacojet for ice creams and sorbet.—Aaron Isip, Gastronômade Manila
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I have to say that technology will change many things in the way we eat in the future.
The biggest challenge we face is the super overpopulation and we will need technology to be able to provide sustainable solutions, given our limited resources. I’m hearing crazy stuff about meats that are recreated with vegetables purees in 3D machines. I’m sure many aspects will be replaced for robots in the F&B industry will be replaced by robots, even cooks, but the creativity of the chef, as well as his ideas about taste and flavors, I hope, won’t ever be replaced because that’s art. —Chele Gonzalez, Gallery by Chele
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Currently technology has done wonders in terms of changing the way we cook and the types of our food. With GMOs or genetically modified organisms and other technological farming practices, I think that one day the idea of having ingredients deemed luxurious like caviar, cheese, and truffles will be obsolete. Thanks to the work of scientists and farmers, they may be produced easily with better quality, making them more readily available to everyone. In addition to that, through advances in food technology, our fruits and vegetables may be made readily available all year round. Working against the standard “season” of these produce will make them more accessible anytime, anywhere. Technology will also change the way we eat in our homes. As a lot of things right now are in the works to make it more convenient for people to cook in their homes. An example would be the digital kitchen table or cooking robots that are in the works, which will help and encourage people to cook themselves and appreciate eating at home more. —Don Baldosano, Linamnam
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Technology so far has helped accelerate some of the processed involved in slow cooking, especially for those who do not have that much time to prepare tedious dishes. With the way we eat, it has also raised awareness in an establishment’s capabilities through social media. —Fran Lim, Tipple & Slaw, Made in BKK
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Technology will bring a lot of improvements in terms of process, efficiencies, and how we create food as we know it. Technology will only enhance what we have now. My wildest imagination is that tech will make food more doable even for a starter and accessible for everyone. Technology will democratize food and how we eat. —Francis Tolentino, Loft Bar & Cafe, Studio 28, Almacen
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Tech has been influencing our food from production to consumption as well as the look of our food not only on the plate but also how we experience it. It has become a level field of inspiration. For example, posting of food on social media has helped boost food creativity. Many of us don’t have the luxury of eating at expensive restos, but we can all share the inspiration for our own cooking. The experience of food goes far beyond its flavors and visual elements. —Jam Melchor, Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement
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As a restaurateur, I think the most critical aspect for our industry is the impact of social media influence that creates an immediate level of expectation. Gone are the days of guests experiencing a feeling for the first time, instead they are looking to fill the gap that the expectation has made. It shadows the fact that one can experience more instead of just filling a void. To me as a chef, technology has made sharing processes and ideas much easier. Especially in times of COVID, where getting inspiration is limited, we are able to inspire from a few taps on a screen. —Josh Boutwood, Helm, Savage, The Test Kitchen
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Technology helps us in the kitchen somehow but we as chefs are still sticking to the core and essence of being a chef. Technology has changed a lot of our eating habits in this fast-paced world, like fast heating of food, instant TV dinners, and food delivery at the touch of one button, but as fast as the world turns, we still find time to go back to our food roots. —Kalel Chan, The Raintree Restaurant Group
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Every new technology represents a trade-off: Something is gained, but something is also lost.—Bee Wilson, Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat
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For food accessibility, we would have more ways to expand our palate because we get to read and learn more about what ingredients are there, and we would be more curious to try them, which makes way for opportunities to do some new things as well as try new dishes. This could revive the Slow Food Movement but at the same time also deters it because right now we have our phones and delivery apps have never been more prevalent than they are now, like Grab or Foodpanda in the Philippines or Grubhub or Doordash in the US. We have started to consume food faster and more conveniently from the comfort of our own homes, which means that we could see a decrease in the frequency people eat out. As for food preparation, since technology allows us access to these different ingredients, we would be able to create machines to change the texture and flavor of ingredients making way for more innovative cuisine. The sous vide is a perfect example of that, as it spearheaded the movement of using more electric machines and technology for cooking. These breakthroughs in food preparation give us chefs more opportunity for innovation and creation. They expand our minds to make way for different ingredients. They also help us find what else we can eat and what else we can explore. —Kevin Uy, Viajé
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Food technology has been around for centuries, but as years passed, more brilliant minds have developed brilliant technologies that make food preparation easier, not only for mass producers and restaurateurs but also for ordinary households. Although the traditional slow cooking is back in style, modern ways of producing fresh produce and preserving ingredients have made the food supply more accessible and affordable. Plus, we now have all these gadgets and equipment that make cooking easier and less stressful in terms of process and preparation. Most critical is technology that sustains the freshness of the ingredients and technology that helps achieve the same, old traditional pleasures of taste and flavors of the food. —Tibong Jardeleza, Sabores de Visayas
Editor’s Note: The title of this forum is a quote from Bee Wilson’s ‘Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat.’