We designed three distinct dining environment modes to enhance users’ engagement with food heritage, recognizing that the cultural context in which food is consumed plays a vital role in shaping how people understand, remember, and share culinary traditions. By offering customizable and immersive settings, the platform not only makes learning more personal and meaningful, but also contributes to the preservation and reinterpretation of intangible cultural heritage.

Pass-through
In this mode, users share a meal with others in their real home environment, supported by virtual features. This familiar setting encourages personal reflection, often evoking family traditions, childhood memories, and regional customs associated with food. 

DIY

This mode empowers users to design their own virtual dining environment, integrating elements that reflect their identity, culture, and personal stories. By inviting others into a space they’ve curated, users can narrate the cultural background of dishes, showcase meaningful artifacts, and share memories tied to ingredients or preparation methods. 

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Travel

This mode transports users to culturally significant settings using 360-degree imagery of historical sites, traditional markets, or rural kitchens from around the world. These immersive backdrops create a powerful sense of place, making the AI companion’s narration of food history, preparation, and regional significance more vivid and compelling. By situating food within its geographical and cultural origins, this mode fosters a deeper appreciation of food heritage as part of a broader cultural landscape.