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To say fancy food and drink is a fundamental part of human civilization is a bold claim, but it’s also an almost absurd understatement. As creatures of exploration and experimentation, we've always been eager to broaden our culinary boundaries, exploring each new animal and fruit as a potential food source. This process has never slowed, and we're only becoming more creative with time.
Demand for fine food and drink variety is greater than ever, where technology plays a hugely important part in fulfilling our needs. This combination of traditional and contemporary food and drink ideas with high technology has opened up opportunities that our forefathers could only dream of, and the potential is only growing by the day. With that in mind, we wanted to take a look at how the technology outside of cooking and brewing has directly changed the shared culinary experience, taking us to a place we often take for granted.
Imagine living in an age where the only food and drink you could consume was served in local shops with local techniques. Even if the cooks and brewers were experts, you'd still be stuck with local varieties and a limited selection. This is something we tend to overlook, where a humble local supermarket alone can offer dozens of choices from all over the world. It's the simple result of better transportation and shipping systems —and it’s only the beginning.
With the help of the internet, we can import an enormous variety of fine food and drinks from across the globe. Whether you’re looking for Colombian coffee at home or Japanese beef for a work function, the World Wide Web has helped with an enormous network of options and delivery services. You can take your taste on vacation without leaving your home with food delivered straight to your door, on a level that would make even the richest of medieval kings envious.
Like most activities, culinary adventure is better with friends. As we grow up and our friend group drifts to different parts of the world, keeping in contact with old compatriots becomes increasingly complicated. Fortunately, this is another area where technology can connect us, enabling us to share in the same fun activities we used to enjoy while drinking together.
Playing cards online is a great example, after connecting over voice and video chat systems like Discord. Even if you’re a newcomer who needs to learn how to play Texas Holdem, every step with modern systems is simple and streamlined. From figuring out the play order to the valuable card combinations and then playing directly with friends, trying a new meal and enjoying your time together is infinitely easier today thanks to communication tech.
The wider selection of options available today and better interpersonal communications could be just a small taste of what's soon to come. Improved shipping technology and a larger market will naturally increase variety availability, and hanging out with friends shows huge potential through next-gen tech too.
Specifically, evolution in technology like augmented reality could reshape how we enjoy hanging out and sharing our experiences with friends. AR (Augmented Reality) glasses have made great strides in projecting virtual images into real space, and these could conceivably work with group hangouts or even remote work team-building. Empty spaces in your living room or on your couch could be filled with virtual images of your friends and contemporaries on the other side of the world, and this technology is already impressively far along.
Human ingenuity knows no bounds, and this is especially true when we apply it to the things we enjoy. Whether exploring a rare tea, sharing our opinions, or just hanging out and enjoying time with friends, our inventiveness and drive means the world of culinary adventure and consumption is never really done. Just remember to stop every now and then to appreciate how far we’ve come, and the journey travelled by those who paved the way.