You know what’s wild? I spent three hours yesterday trying to perfect my abuela’s enchilada recipe while simultaneously falling down a rabbit hole reading about industrial robotics. Not exactly your typical Tuesday night food blog research, right?
But hear me out—there’s something fascinating about how the world is automating everything while I’m still struggling to achieve the perfect chili-to-garlic ratio in my salsa. The article I was reading talked about China’s dominance in robotics manufacturing, and all I could think about was how no robot could possibly replicate the way my grandmother knew exactly when to flip a tortilla just by listening to the sizzle.
Ones – The Human Touch in an Automated World
Here’s the thing about cooking that I find eerily similar to this whole robotics revolution: it’s all about iteration. Just like how drone companies like DJI apparently conquered their market through rapid prototyping and improvements, I’ve been through seventeen versions of my chimichurri sauce this month alone. Version twelve included way too much vinegar (my girlfriend’s eyebrows have only recently recovered), but version fifteen? Chef’s kiss.
The article mentioned something called “general purpose robotics” being the holy grail of automation. It got me thinking about my own kitchen holy grail: a truly versatile sauce that works on everything from grilled vegetables to fish tacos. Both seem equally elusive, if you ask me.
Ones – My Kitchen’s Supply Chain Crisis
When the piece started talking about supply chain issues for robot parts, I laughed out loud. If only these tech experts knew about the Great Cilantro Shortage of 2023 in my neighborhood! I drove to four different markets in a panic, eventually paying a premium at that fancy organic place where they know me as “the guy who always asks about heirloom tomatoes but never buys them.”
My spice cabinet is basically experiencing its own version of manufacturing dependence. I’m completely reliant on this tiny international market three towns over for my sumac and Aleppo pepper. If they close, my entire cooking operation crashes like a poorly programmed kitchen bot.
Automation vs. Tradition: A Cook’s Dilemma
There was a section about how countries are positioning themselves in this robotics race—South Korea, Japan, Germany, and the U.S. all watching while China pulls ahead. Meanwhile, I’m having my own existential crisis about whether to invest in a fancy food processor or keep chopping everything by hand like my father taught me.
The traditionalist in me says the knife technique connects me to generations of family cooking. The practical part (the part that just spent 40 minutes dicing onions for sofrito) is seriously considering automation.
The Future of Food (and Apparently Everything Else)
What struck me most was the article’s urgent tone about falling behind in this technological revolution. It made me wonder: am I failing my food blog by not embracing more kitchen gadgetry? Should I be 3D printing my empanadas by now?
But here’s what I know for sure—the meals that get the most likes on my Instagram aren’t the technically perfect ones. They’re the ones with stories, the dishes that evoke memories or create new ones. Maybe the same is true for technology. Maybe the most successful robotics won’t be the ones that simply replace humans, but the ones that somehow enhance what makes us human in the first place.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go check on my 18th iteration of chimichurri. This time I’m adding just a hint of orange zest, which is definitely not traditional, but innovation rarely is—whether in sauce or in silicon.
