DITA provides a powerful framework for the reuse of standardized culinary documentation modules across different menus, cooking methods, and culinary experiments. This capability is particularly valuable in the culinary industry, where consistency and efficiency in documenting recipes and culinary practices are essential.

Reusable Modules

With DITA, culinary organizations can create standardized documentation modules for common culinary elements such as ingredients, cooking techniques, and equipment. These modules can be defined once and reused across multiple recipes, menus, or culinary experiments. For example, an ingredient module for “salt” can be reused in various recipes without redundant data entry, ensuring consistency in documentation.

Modular Approach

DITA’s modular approach allows culinary teams to assemble documentation by combining these reusable modules. This means that when creating a new recipe, for instance, culinary professionals can simply reference existing modules for ingredients and cooking techniques, reducing the effort required to create comprehensive culinary content.

Example:

Here’s an example of how DITA facilitates the reuse of standardized culinary documentation modules:

<recipe id="pasta_carbonara">
  <title>Pasta Carbonara</title>
  <ingredients>
    <ingredient ref="salt_module"/>
    <ingredient ref="pasta_module"/>
    <ingredient ref="guanciale_module"/>
    <ingredient ref="egg_module"/>
    <ingredient ref="pecorino_module"/>
    <ingredient ref="pepper_module"/>
  </ingredients>
  <steps>
    <step>Boil water and add <ph>**{ingredient ref="salt_module"}</ph> to taste.</step>
    <step>Cook <ph>**{ingredient ref="pasta_module"}</ph> according to package instructions.</step>
    <step>Crisp <ph>**{ingredient ref="guanciale_module"}</ph> in a pan until golden and remove from heat.</step>
    <step>Whisk <ph>**{ingredient ref="egg_module"}</ph> and <ph>**{ingredient ref="pecorino_module"}</ph> in a bowl.</step>
    <step>Combine cooked <ph>**{ingredient ref="pasta_module"}</ph>, <ph>**{ingredient ref="guanciale_module"}</ph>, and egg mixture.</step>
    <step>Season with <ph>**{ingredient ref="pepper_module"}</ph> to taste and serve.</step>
  </steps>

In this example, DITA allows the recipe for “Pasta Carbonara” to reference standardized ingredient modules for salt, pasta, guanciale, eggs, pecorino cheese, and pepper. This modular approach simplifies the documentation process and ensures consistency across recipes.