A new wave of cooking

A new wave of cooking

Innovative chefs are embracing ultrasound-based cooking techniques to transform cheaper meat cuts and vegetable waste into creative new dishes. Silko, co-creators of the Sonika, and Next Cooking Generation explain to Chris Evans how it works.

Words such as revolutionary and redefining are often overused when new products launch, and the hype is rarely justified. However, in the case of the Sonika – a cutting-edge preparation appliance from Silko and Next Cooking Generation that uses patented, focused ultrasound technology – these terms are more than fitting.

Ultrasound technology has been used before to clean products, but this is something new. Silko and Next Cooking Generation are harnessing wave technology to treat food and prepare drinks – all within a stylish, stainless steel, professional-grade machine. “We were trying to think outside the box,” says Michele Bartolini, product specialist at Silko. “Using Next Cooking Generation’s patented waveco® focused ultrasound technology [developed at the University of Teramo in Italy], we found that we could massage the food towards accelerated maturation.”

This “massaging process” softens proteins in the food without losing moisture, enhancing tenderness. It also kills bacteria, such as salmonella and listeria, significantly extending food shelf life “by about 50%” according to Bartolini. But perhaps most importantly for chefs and restaurant owners, the Sonika also allows the use of less premium cuts of meat that would normally go to waste – with perfect results.

Refuse reused?

Sonika even transforms food that would normally be discarded. For example, the green leaves of the cauliflower can be finely chopped, sugared, and salted, to create a candied vegetable dressing for a starter. “We even used discarded celery leaves from a broth to make a unique alcoholic drink,” says Bartolini. “We filled up a vacuum bag with the leaves and alcohol, put it in the ultrasound machine for an hour and then let it rest overnight. Then we added water and sugar to balance the flavor, and ended up with a delicious drink,” says Bartolini, who hopes to get the machines into lounge bars too. “We can infuse oil, water, alcohol, milk and more with every kind of waste in the kitchen to create delicious food and help save the environment.”

Word of Sonika’s success is spreading fast, with machines being sold across the globe. “In Asia, where they cook a lot with vegetables, they’re realizing they can put them in the ultrasound directly and keep all the vitamins and flavor. It’s also more sustainable this way,” says Bartolini. And in France, at Sirha Lyon in January 2025, respected private chef Benjamin Moulinas demonstrated how to cook traditional French recipes, including duck, in the Sonika machine.

“He produced a dried duck recipe. It normally has to be conserved with salt for at least three or four weeks to dehydrate, but with Sonika the process took just a few hours,” says Piovesan. “Ultrasound technology is incomparable,” says Moulinas. “I use it to find new food textures and research innovative techniques, like transferring flavor and color to raw food.

Sound progress

“The Sirha presentations were a total success and people [including Michelin-starred chefs] were amazed by the refined textures and intensified flavors,” adds Moulinas. Bartolini says Moulinas has helped train others how to use Sonika, showing them how it can easily be personalized for each customer/client and their recipes.

“We just give them an indication of time for every ingredient and that’s it,” says Bartolini. Silko and Next Cooking Generation continue to work together to find new features and applications for waveco® technology and the Sonika machine. “We are helping them grow in the market, but also giving them suggestions on the design and build. Our technical departments learn from each other,” says Bartolini.

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