As an Egyptian living abroad, it's very hard for me to keep up with all the new places popping up in the city and all the new food trends but I can always rely on HungryEgyptian to keep me in the loop. Not only are they in the know when it comes to food in Egypt but also when it comes to food anywhere on the globe.
The account is run by two sisters coming from a French-Lebanese mother and an Egyptian father who have lived in Cairo, Paris and London and who have traveled the world. They look at food as more than a meal you eat to survive. Their passion for food has trained their taste buds to be above average.
To them, flavors, textures and colors' combination is magical. Not only is their page filled with pictures of them eating out, but also of their cooking. You can rest assured that honesty is policy.
What inspired you to create your food account?
"All of our lives, we've been surrounded by food. Having a Syrian-Egyptian father and French-Lebanese mother, we don't need to explain to you the importance of food in at home. Also, living in Paris for seven years opened our eyes and tastebuds to so many different kinds of cuisines, as well as giving us a great understanding of different cooking techniques."
"In addition to all of this, we're travelers, so turning our love for food into a platform where we share our favorite recipes and restaurants as well as home-cooked food seemed obvious."
Do you consider HungryEgyptian a successful food account?
"It's not our place to say if we're successful or not, but we have the feeling that HungryEgyptian is picking up. Still there is so much room for improvement, since there's always someone better, a new restaurant opening or a new recipe to try out."
How many times a day/week do you eat out to post on the account?
"We don't really think about it this way to be honest, but even when we don't go out, we eat so there's always something to post."
What's the weirdest thing you ever ate?
"Fried crickets in China, snails and frogs in Paris and beef chins in Egypt. These are some of the foods that people might consider weird. It's cool to try different foods and discover different cultures through their foods. As gross as some of these foods might sound to some—take our advice, NEVER say "yuck" or "I hate it" before trying it. It's up to you to hate it or love it, but always keep an open mind when it comes to food."
Where's your favorite place to eat?
"You'll mainly find us in Europe or in the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region. We'd say Relais Du Plaza Athenee in Paris."
How did you perfect the art of taking pictures of your food?
"We're far from taking amazing food pictures—most of our photos are snapped using our iPhones with a lot of love and passion. If we have one advice to give you—DAYLIGHT! Play around with your camera to find the perfect angles. Just like us humans, food also has its good and bad angles! Love, passion, pretty food and multiple trials."
What advice would you give someone looking to start a food Instagram account?
"Be you, have a good time, and don't post it if you don't like it. Make lists of restaurants you want to try all over the world, try new foods, and never try to copy anyone. We're all different and we all have different taste buds and different approaches to food — let your blog reflect on who you are. Do it with a lot of love and the rest shall follow. But remember your reputation is in line — be careful what you post. People will eventually trust you so don't lose their trust."
We'd like to thank the HungryEgyptian sisters for giving us a sneak peak of their food journey. Make sure to follow them for worldwide food inspiration on Instagram and Facebook as well as checking their blog out at hungryegyptian.wordpress.com.