In the past decade, we have witnessed a steady transition of content and media from our physical world to the online digital one with the most marked transformation happening in books and music. But in the publishing world, there has been a radically absent player in this metamorphosis -- recipe and cookbook publishing.
This post was written by Sari Louis, Founder and CEO of YumvY.
Last year, a hundred million unique users in the US alone took to the Web in search of the perfect recipes to cook. Although some sites and applications today offer added functionality (such as the ability to change the number of servings or substitute ingredients), advancements have largely been limited to improving the discovery process—what to cook—as opposed to the cooking process.
And this is precisely where YumvY comes in. The transition to a digital online medium affords us the opportunity to provide new functionality that would have otherwise been difficult or outright impossible to achieve in the offline world. Whereas the transition in the industry has been limited to a mere translation from printed to digital “dumb” recipes, YumvY’s vision is to transform and greatly enhance the user experience in the kitchen by rethinking the digital recipe from the ground up.
So how can YumvY’s digital recipe format, SmartRecipe™, enhance your experience? One benefit is that it makes cooking at home a less stressful or intimidating proposition if you are a beginner. Just like the GPS system in your car, YumvY will walk you through the process of cooking a recipe, step by step start-to-finish without getting lost. It will tell you when to turn the oven on, chop the vegetables, or drain the pasta; when you complete a step, it will figure out what you should do next; and, if a timer is needed, it will automatically create one for you.
What other benefits does it provide? It makes cooking sophisticated, restaurant-quality meals at home fast, fun, and easy! Say you’re having friends over for dinner, celebrating a special occasion or simply the end of the work week. YumvY will combine the steps from all the recipes you want to cook, figure out how best to order them, split them among any number of cooks, and then walk each of you through the process, step by step. It will even estimate how long the meal will take to cook, or at what time it will be ready.
We have long dreamed of the kitchen of the future, from the Jetsons’ to Microsoft’s Home of the Future. And while personal robots are not (yet!) here to help us cook, the kitchen of the future is one step closer with YumvY. The examples above are but a few of the world of possibilities unlocked by rethinking the digital recipe and the role of technology in the kitchen. For example, integrating the SmartRecipe™ with your dietary restrictions or preferences, smart kitchen appliances, or even your local grocer is within reach. We have only just begun exploring these possibilities, and we at YumvY are very excited about the future that lies ahead. Most importantly, we are excited about helping you unleash your inner chef.
Happy cooking!