Overview

The "Culinary Heritage Exploration" augmented reality (AR) experience will immerse participants in the rich tapestry of global culinary traditions, focusing on the journey of plants from soil to kitchen and back to soil. Through interactive elements, videos, and virtual reality (VR) scenes, participants will explore traditional cooking methods, cultural significance, and the lifecycle of essential crops like peppers.

The laptop version of "Culinary Heritage Exploration" will use a virtual reality (VR) space navigated by a customizable avatar. Participants will explore a virtual world representing various global cuisines, learn traditional cooking methods, and understand the lifecycle of essential crops like peppers.

Structure

The experience is divided into five main sections, each aligned with specific learning objectives.

1. Introduction to Culinary Heritage

• Avatar Customization: Participants create and customize their avatars, choosing from a variety of outfits and appearances.
• Virtual Lobby: The starting point of the journey, where participants receive an overview of the experience.
• Introduction Video: A short, engaging video plays, setting the stage and highlighting the global importance of plants in cuisine.

2. Learning Objective 1: Explore the Role of Cuisine in Various Cultures

• Virtual World Map: An interactive map that participants can navigate to visit different regions.
• Cultural Exploration:
  • Palestinian Culture: Participants can click on Palestine to watch videos explaining the significance of local crops and foraged plants.
    • Example: Videos from the provided YouTube links showcasing traditional Palestinian recipes and the cultural significance of local plants.
  • Global Cuisine Stations: Virtual kitchens representing different regions where participants can watch AR cooking demonstrations and learn about traditional dishes using locally-grown produce.

3. Learning Objective 2: Lifecycle of the Pepper

• VR Experience: From Soil to Kitchen:
  • Soil Science Exhibit: An interactive exhibit explaining soil composition, the role of humus, and soil amendments for growing peppers.
  • Planting and Harvesting Simulation: Participants virtually plant pepper seeds, water them, and watch them grow through different stages.
  • Global Distribution Journey: A virtual tour showing the journey of peppers from small local farms to large-scale global distribution.
  • Farmers’ Market Simulation: A bustling virtual farmers’ market where participants can "purchase" virtual peppers and learn about local farming practices.

4. Learning Objective 3: Soil Science and Cultural Practices

• Interactive Soil Science Module: An interactive module where participants explore the principles of soil science through models and quizzes.
• Global Soil Care Practices: Virtual displays and videos showcasing diverse soil care practices from different cultures, such as composting in the US, terrace farming in Asia, and crop rotation in Europe.

5. Culinary Demonstrations and Community Engagement

• Virtual Cooking Classes: Interactive virtual cooking classes where participants can follow along with an avatar chef demonstrating traditional recipes using peppers.
  • Example: Cooking demonstrations for dishes like Mapo Tofu and Koshary.
• Pickling and Preserving Workshops: Virtual workshops on pickling green bell peppers, allowing participants to follow along in real-time.