Take a moment to think about why you choose to go on social media platforms, specifically, Instagram. Maybe you want to see what your friends are up to, or post about what you did over the weekend. Or, if you’re a foodie like me, you go on to salivate over delicious dishes and see what recipes are trending.
Social media platforms like Instagram are not all about food, of course. In addition to drool-worthy photos of stacked pancakes drowning in butter and smoky mezcal cocktails, there’s a lot of stuff you maybe don’t want to see on the app. It can take a toll on your mental health to constantly be bombarded by unrealistic beauty standards, news, and internet trolls.
Enter Pepper, the app.
Co-founded by Jake Aronskind and Matt Schkolnick, Pepper was created to offer a place to share food with friends. The app launched for iOS in September of 2021, and shortly after was made available for Android. Since then, Pepper has gained nearly 60,000 active users.
Users can upload photos of dishes they have made on the app, and share recipes as the caption. Not much of a cook? Pepper encourages you to also upload photos of beloved restaurant dishes, your favorite lattes, or the decadent ice cream cone you devoured last night.
On the app, you can follow friends, and discover new dishes on Pepper’s explore page. If you have certain dietary restrictions or preferences, you can use a filter to search for recipes that fall within categories such as vegan, gluten-free, or (there are a total of seven different dietary filters).
Although there is a lot of food-related content on platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and Pinterest, these platforms aren’t specifically made for foodies. Certain apps and online platforms are created for specific niches; there is AllTrails for hiking and Mountain Project for rock climbing. Pepper fills the niche for those weekend foodies and budding home chefs that want to connect with others who have similar passions.
I spoke with Jake Aronskind last week, and asked if any dish or ingredient on the app was trending. He said, “The number one right now is chicken. So pretty much what you would expect. I think breakfast is number two.” A few specific dishes that have garnered a lot of engagement include a crawfish quiche bowl, mocha breakfast smoothie, and a witch cake (a variation of a chocolate glazed bundt cake).
As a food app creator, what does Jake Aronskind eat in a day?
For breakfast, he likes to keep it light, and typically goes for fruit and granola. Two of his go-to dishes as of recently are a chicken teriyaki bowl and fried, breaded eggplant (which he adds to sandwiches or eats as an appetizer).
Want to try out Pepper for yourself? Download it below!
