Saudi YouTube chef finds recipe to success

To most outsiders, Saudi food remains a mystery by and large, even in a time when there is no dearth of food bloggers and Buzzfeed videos showcasing recipes from far and wide places. Be it Korea’s Kimchi or Brazil’s Brigadeiros, if you are armed with a phone or a tablet, you are good to go to the kitchen. However, traditional Saudi food has evaded such spotlight for long. The closest you get online is a non-Saudi chef creating his or her own version of ‘Kabsa’ or ‘Sambusa’. Enter Eman Gazzaz, the only English-speaking Saudi blogger with a popular YouTube channel ‘Saudi Food with Eman’ where she dishes out some authentic Saudi recipes in easy to follow videos.
Eman has a great personality and her recipes are simple. She has been around since 2012, and her 17 videos so far have garnered around12,500 subscribers and a total of 948,336 views. From the traditional Saleeg to the Saudi sand cake, she’s got it all covered.
Arab News interviewed the chirpy food blogger to find out more about her food feats.

Who is Eman?
My full name is Eman Gazzaz and I am a 38-year-old Saudi woman currently living in Riyadh. I was born in Brazil, and have lived in around six different countries throughout my life. The countries I lived in were Brazil, Philippines, Ghana, Algeria, Morocco and Pakistan. I majored in Human Resource Development from Al-Akhawayn University in Morocco. I lived abroad all my life and came back to Saudi Arabia almost 10 years ago for the first time in my life.

How and when did you think of starting a YouTube channel?
I started my YouTube channel back in 2012 when a friend of mine, Alia, from Morocco visited Jeddah, and she happened to have a cooking channel. During her visit, Alia filmed three Saudi dishes with me (Saleeg, Sambusa, Shakshoka), and it was a hit when she uploaded them. Now some videos have over a million views. Before she traveled back home, she convinced me to start the same concept, where I introduce the Saudi culture to the world, since very little is known about it. I saw it as an opportunity to do something for my country and I grabbed it. Simply put, my channel aims to explain who Saudi women are, how they dress, what they really eat on a daily basis, and that they are are educated and intellectual. All this in the end, represents our culture.

What is the secret of your expertise in Saudi food?
I have always had love for the kitchen and wondered how to get the most balanced flavors. I enjoy and aspire to always find the perfect taste. Majority of my cooking before getting married in 2008 was focused on Asian, American and European cuisines. After I got married, I began missing home food, and started learning Saudi recipes from my parents, which they used to make at home all the time.

How was the response when you first started the channel? How is the feedback now?
When I first started in 2012, there was a big response, and many people were amazed that a Saudi woman was showing her face on camera. Some questioned if I was even a Saudi. I focused on wearing our abaya as part of introducing the Saudi culture and I wore the Hijab in different ways to show that we have style. Now, many people love the idea that a Saudi female is teaching foreigners her culture through a YouTube channel.

How do you deal with negative comments?
My aim is much bigger than the negative comments I get. In the end, I know I am creating something that will positively change what people think about Saudis and how we are all beings with just different nationalities. I hope that through my channel I can change people’s perceptions, even if the change is minor. I feel satisfied to know that I have positively impacted people.

Is yours the only Saudi recipe channel in English language?
Yes. When I first started, I searched for the same concept, of a Saudi woman cooking Saudi food in English but I couldn’t find any. Today, there is still no other channel like mine.
Which is your favorite dish and why?
My favorite dish is Saleeg because it brings back lots of memories as a child and I love the flavor. It’s comfort food for me.

Are you a full-time YouTuber? If not, what do you do other than that?
No, I’m not. I do the channel as a side hobby. I work in a bank as an HR project manager.

How do you time your videos?
I try to make one video every week or two, depends on how busy I am.

What are your hobbies?
I love to paint, fix things, watch Food Network and learn new things.

Tell us something about your family.
I am married with three kids, Fahad (8 years), Faisal (6 years), and Warda (2 years). My family is like the Greek family, where all our weekly gatherings are centered around lots of food and laughter. My parents live in Jeddah, we originally come from Makkah. Two of my sisters and their families are in the food business as well. One of them started Kufta Gourmet (high-end burgers and barbecue) and the other one started Naqaniq (homemade hotdog). My dad is a unique man who loves to collect antique cars, collect old pocket watches, loves gardening, loves cooking, and adores his children and 26 nieces/nephews. My mom is a strong, genuine woman, loves to help the needy, thinks of others before herself, and anyone who meets her sees her as their own mother.

The trend of food vlogs dedicated to just one type of cuisine has long faded. Do you see yourself diversifying your recipes?
I will take it step by step, and see where this path takes me. My Saudi Food with Eman channel will always be there. However, since I do have a love for the kitchen, I might start other YouTube channels where I cook my own fusion dishes. However, I don’t want it to be another food channel, it should be unique. I’m just waiting for the next great idea.

Do you make money from YouTube views? If not, do you plan to go more aggressive on your channel to gain more viewers and expand on other social media?
I got into the other social media arena five months ago where I created my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Only a few months ago, I monetized my YouTube channel, meaning I started getting paid for it. The reason for doing so is because my channel will be advertised next to other similar channels. This will help boost the engagement and subscribers. I didn’t do it for the money.

So if you’ve wanted to impress your friends and family with authentic local specialities, tune in to Saudi Food with Eman on YouTube and enjoy Eman’s easy step-by-step guides.
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Email: [email protected]