University of Coimbra develops app to preserve family recipes

The University of Coimbra has developed a new application called Family Food Heritage (FFH) designed to preserve traditional family recipes and the personal histories associated with them. Unlike standard digital cookbooks, the app focuses on capturing the oral traditions and memories behind culinary practices, allowing users to record how recipes were learned and connect them to specific family members or locations.

A key feature of the platform is its use of artificial intelligence to digitize old, handwritten recipe books. Users can photograph handwritten pages, and the AI extracts the text, which can then be edited and supplemented with photographs and personal stories.

The application includes a memorial feature to honor deceased relatives as keepers of culinary knowledge. The platform is already being used by families in various countries, including Portugal, Brazil, and Norway, to ensure that gastronomic heritage is not lost across generations.