A table across time
La Table du Temps is an interactive cultural archive of French cuisine. It connects 5 historical eras, 28 dishes, local images, and relationship types to make culinary history feel navigable rather than encyclopedic.
What is in the archive
- A narrative entrance that frames the interface as a journey through changing ideas of taste, class, technique, and memory.
- A D3 relationship graph with zoom, pan, node selection, hover states, and relationship explanations.
- An era timeline spanning medieval court cuisine, classical French cuisine, the grand hotel era, Nouvelle Cuisine, and contemporary dining.
- Dish records with French and Chinese names, origins, descriptions, ingredients, attribution, and supported local imagery.
- A second sensory narration layer that reads history through smell, texture, and memory.
Method
The data model separates eras, dishes, and relationships. A collection workflow uses Wikidata and Wikipedia for structured enrichment and cross-checking, with manual review for historical interpretation and narrative placement.
Status
The landing page, exploration view, relationship graph, detail system, and collection scripts are implemented. Mobile refinement, final visual captures, deployment, and source-attribution polish remain in progress.