Taste of Home – bridge gaps through meals
Type
Timeline
Personal Project
at Pforzheim University
"Taste of Home" is a mobile app designed to bridge gaps by connecting immigrants and locals through the universal language of food.
The app allows users to create virtual postcards featuring dishes they can cook, share stories about their cultural significance, and invite others to join them for meals.
By fostering connections over shared meals and encouraging language exchange, the app aims to create a warm, inclusive environment where immigrants and locals can learn from one another and build lasting relationships.
Aug - Feb 2024/25
Tools
Figma
Miro
Taste of Home
"Taste of Home" is built on the idea that food is a universal language that can bring people together.
The app allows users to create virtual postcards featuring dishes they can cook, along with a story about the dish’s cultural or personal significance.
These postcards serve as invitations for others to join them for a meal, either at their home or a designated location. Users can specify how many people can attend, whether the meal is free or paid (to cover ingredient costs), and set a date and time.
Background
To better understand the challenges faced by immigrants in Germany, I conducted interviews and surveys with both immigrants and locals..
One immigrant shared that she often struggles to find food that aligns with her cultural preferences, which makes her feel disconnected from her heritage. Another expressed frustration with the long waiting times for language schools and a desire for more opportunities to practice German in everyday settings.
Locals, on the other hand, acknowledged a lack of understanding about immigrant cultures and expressed interest in learning more but weren’t sure where to start
the Problem
Understanding
Many immigrants describe strong family bonds.
However, some feel isolated due to language barriers or cultural differences.
Religion plays a significant role for some, but they face prejudice, particularly regarding visible practices like wearing headscarves.
Language barriers are a major pain point, with long waiting times for courses and difficulties in daily communication. Many wish Germans were more open to conversations despite imperfect German.
A recurring theme is the desire for mutual acceptance: immigrants want to contribute but often feel judged. They suggest better language programs, more warmth from Germans, and less stereotyping.
Perspectives of Immigrants in Germany
The German respondents show a mix of openness and skepticism toward integration.
Contact with immigrants ranges from frequent (e.g., international workplaces or friendships) to rare, often due to language barriers or cultural hesitations.
Many Germans expect immigrants to learn German quickly and adapt to local norms, seeing this as a sign of respect.
Overall, while younger generations embrace diversity, others fear rapid change. The summary reflects a society grappling with how to balance openness with cohesion, highlighting the need for structured integration efforts.
Perspectives of
native Germans
Cultural Exclusion
Misunderstandings and stereotypes about immigrant traditions can lead to feelings of isolation and mistrust on both sides.
Language Barriers
Immigrants often struggle to learn German due to limited access to language schools and few opportunities for practice in casual, everyday settings.
Social Warmth
Food Accessibility
Immigrants often feel that locals could be more communicative and welcoming, creating a sense of distance between the two groups.
Many immigrants find it difficult to access ingredients or dishes that remind them of home, but also want to try something new
Key Pain Points
The findings from the World Happiness Report
(2024, Chapter 3: Sharing Meals with Others) reinforce these insights by highlighting the profound impact of shared meals on happiness, social connections, and overall wellbeing.
People who frequently share meals with others report significantly higher levels of life satisfaction
Meal sharing has an influence on happiness comparable to that of income and unemployment
Countries where people regularly share meals tend to display higher levels of social support, positive reciprocity, and lower levels of loneliness.
While some cultures continue to prioritize communal dining, others are experiencing a decline in shared meals.
In the United States, for example, the number of people eating alone has risen sharply, with one in four Americans reporting that they ate all of their meals alone the previous day—a 53% increase since 2003.
While this data is specific to the U.S., Germany’s urban centers face similar trends, where busy lifestyles, digital distractions, and changing work patterns are reducing opportunities for in-person connection.
The Role of
Meal Sharing in Wellbeing
Building bridges
Goal
Creating a platform for building bridges between cultures.
By combining food, storytelling, and language exchange,
it addresses the practical and emotional challenges faced by immigrants while creating opportunities for locals to learn and grow.
a tool to connect
Design solution
"Taste of Home" is a mobile app with a mission to foster connection, understanding, and community by bringing together immigrants and locals through the shared experience of food.
By leveraging the universal language of cooking and dining, the app provides a platform for individuals to share their cultural stories, traditions, and dishes with others.
Virtual Postcards of Dishes: Users can create digital letters showcasing dishes they can prepare, each accompanied by a detailed description of the recipe, its cultural background, and personal stories about its significance.
Cultural Sharing & Storytelling: Each postcard not only highlights the ingredients and cooking method but also the cultural context behind the dish.
Inviting Others for Meals: The app goes beyond just sharing recipes by allowing users to invite others to join them for a meal. A way to bring communities together over something that everyone loves: food.
Language Exchange: The app also encourages language learning and exchange. While sharing their recipes and stories, users are exposed to different languages, phrases, and cultural expressions. This can help break down language barriers and enhance communication among diverse groups of people.
What is
Taste of Home?
On your profile page, you can view
all the letters you've created.
You can also write a brief introduction about yourself.
By clicking the plus button, you can create
new letters and personalize them with pictures, stickers, and more.
On the letters page, you'll find letters from other users. By clicking on a letter, you can flip it over, revealing a short story about the person and the dish featured.
If you'd like to read it in your own language, simply click the translate button for an instant translation.
If a letter catches your interest, you can send a request message to connect with the sender.
In the settings, you can customize your preferences by adjusting the distance, age range, dietary preferences, and more, allowing you to tailor your experience to better suit your needs.
On the chats page, you can connect with your friends, as well as view and accept requests from the letters you've received.