Overview
Research explored the utility of immersive gameplay in virtual reality (VR) for engaging individuals with culinary Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). The study focused on "Hakka Kitchen," a gamified VR experience designed to guide players through the traditional preparation of stuffed bitter melon, a Hakka dish. This experience was developed as an alternative to non-interactive media for understanding culinary ICH.
Research Context
Intangible Cultural Heritage experiences are characterized as processes dependent on physical interactions within specific cultural contexts, often involving embodied, tacit, and situated phenomena. Traditional methods of engaging with ICH, such as videos and books, primarily offer non-interactive consumption of information. These methods do not facilitate the grasp of interactive procedures that embody cultural knowledge. The challenge lies in making these interactive procedures accessible to the public in a meaningful way.
Approach
The researchers created "Hakka Kitchen," a gamified VR experience where a virtual chef of Hakka cuisine guides players through the physical process of making stuffed bitter melon. This involved representing interactive procedures in a virtual environment. To evaluate its effectiveness, a between-subjects study was conducted with 40 participants (N=40). Participants were divided into two groups: one experienced "Hakka Kitchen," while the other watched a VR video that provided equivalent information. The study aimed to compare the effects of the immersive game play against a passive VR viewing experience on engagement, affect, and cultural awareness.
Findings
Participation in "Hakka Kitchen" resulted in several observed outcomes when compared to watching a video in VR that conveyed the same information. The gamified VR experience led to:
- Increased sensory engagement.
- Increased imaginative engagement.
- Higher positive affect.
- An increased willingness among participants to transmit awareness for the culinary ICH.
The study indicated that heritage recognition is mode-dependent. Specifically, the cognitive load associated with the enactment of the cooking process within "Hakka Kitchen" suppressed players' uptake of concurrent cultural narration. However, this active engagement also generated somatic and memory anchors. These anchors were found to foster a deeper, implicit kinesthetic form of empathy for the artisan's labor and cultural background. The work suggests that representing interactive procedures, rather than static content, may empower cultural awareness within a virtual form of ICH practice.
Why This Matters
The findings indicate a method for enabling public engagement with ICH experiences that are inherently process-oriented and rely on physical interactions. By demonstrating how virtual interactive procedures can cultivate cultural awareness and empathy, this research offers a pathway to share complex cultural knowledge beyond passive consumption, potentially fostering a deeper connection to cultural heritage.