Grub Olympx (TM) is a user-friendly interactive app now available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that provides you the opportunity to search and discover signature international dishes from around the world and also learn facts such as country population, GDP, famous athlete, landmarks and country soccer team nicknames.
Released in time for the London summer games, this is a great companion app to learn about popular and iconic international foods that might be fueling the next generation of sprinters in Jamaica (Jerk Chicken), basketballers and swimmers of USA (Apple Pie), gymnasts of China (Peking Duck) or even athletes of New Zealand (Bacon and Egg Pie) and Nigeria (Suya).
“ The genesis of the Grub Olympx idea came from my experience at Georgetown Law School where I lived in a house inhabited by students from China, France, India, Ireland and Nigeria. We came from different backgrounds but we all learned from each other, bonded well and developed trust partly due to our interest/curiosity in cuisine from different parts of the world. I remember the first time we had the signature Vietnamese dish, Pho, and how good it felt to learn something about a different culture. I realized then that food could be an important vehicle to promote multicultural learning and serve as a foundation to encourage constructive cross-cultural dialogue in an organic way,” says co-founder Kel Jack. “I believe in the power of food to transcend cultural divide. I have often marveled that food and music are amazing in the sense that they both define who we are but are most readily shared with, accepted by others. I believe this bodes well for peace because the more one learns about another and appreciates diverse cultures, the less likely opportunities for severe conflict requiring violence and the more likely problems can be solved amicably.”
Grub Olympx allows you to login via Facebook, or create a GrubOlympx account. You can log in as an individual, and also associate with a group such as a school, business, church or religious institution. Try classic dishes from a region with links to recipes and a restaurant in the New York City Tri State area that may serve the dish, capture your conquest in a picture, and rate the dish. With a click, you can also map out your culinary conquests, accumulate points on your “GrubPassport”, compete with your friends and share through Facebook and Twitter.
Some of the benefits users of Grub Olympx have mentioned include learning interesting and important information about a lot of countries in a fun and easily digestible way. In particular, young people who do not have the opportunity to travel and are often bored by geography textbooks particular appreciate using Grub Olympx to learn about the world through the window of food. Additionally, users including pastors of multicultural churches, lawyers, doctors and other professionals who deal with diverse clients have commented that Grub Olympx serves as a great icebreaker in conversations and helps build rapport with people from different countries. One user also mentioned that he saved some money when using a taxi cab in New York City because he got into a detailed conversation with the Haitian cab driver who was amazed at his knowledge of Haitian food, culture and GDP gained through the Grub Olympx app and gave him a reduced fare because of the goodwill their conversation engendered. Other users simply like the introduction to different iconic global foods that they could learn to cook and links to restaurants that they could explore. The social gaming aspects of the app also has some appeal as it helps users document their journey in the FoodPassport.
Ultimately, Jack sees Grub Olympx as a mechanism to incentivize people to learn about multiple cultures and improve cultural competence. “We are hopeful that schools, global businesses and NGOs who see the value of improving the global knowledge base of people especially young people through this enquiry based learning platform would seek to partner with us and make multicultural learning fun and delicious!”
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 4.2 or later
* 18.4 MB
Pricing and Availability:
Grub Olympx is now available for US$4.99 (pro version) in the U.S and priced accordingly in other regions. You can also download Grub Olympx (lite) for free world-wide through Apple’s App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Please visit Grub Olympx online for more information or contact Kel Jack, co-founder.