DUBAI: You can barely look at an Instagram feed now without encountering dozens of drool-worthy food photos. Social media has had an undeniable impact on how we view and consume food and, according to Dubai-based culinary personality Dima Sharif, how we “express and interact with food.
“People have become way more aware about food issues, (including) healthy eating, and even the cultural and historical impact of food around the world,” she told Arab News. “People have definitely become better cooks and developed a deeper appreciation for good food images too.”
Social media has even affected the hospitality industry to the extent of hotels and restaurants now thinking about their Instagram-friendliness when designing concepts. “The whole idea of Instagram-ability is catching on as restaurants and cafes are thinking about every detail in terms of both food and décor,” Fizzah, from The London Haloodie Instagram account, told Arab News.
But who among the social media world’s self-proclaimed foodies are wowing us with their images — while also being culturally sensitive? We trawled through Instagram to discover the culinary bloggers and influencers who not only specialize in halal food, but do so in style.
Curate your “following” list to include these, and you will have your gourmet inspiration sorted.
The London Haloodie
An eclectic combination of luxury restaurant meals, coffee and cakes (lots of it in fact), selfies, with the occasional travel pic thrown in for good measure, this is the Instagram feed you wish you had.
“I consider myself as showcasing the best halal places in London (and the places I travel to) that step away from the traditional notion of what halal food is, through the eyes of a modern Muslim,” said Fizzah. “In my opinion, just because we eat halal food it shouldn’t restrict us from trying different cuisines from all over the world.”

Who else is struggling to get over the festive period though? PS. I wish I could show you my shoes, they’re my fave red festive shoes! #withdrawals #afternoontea #TLHinLondon

A post shared by The London Haloodie (@thelondonhaloodie) on Jan 4, 2018 at 1:45pm PST

Sukaina Rajabali
No one does a flat lay quite like this self-taught food stylist and photographer. While her food shots feature a distinctive shabby chic aesthetic, her travel images are no less lust worthy. Her top tip for nailing the perfect flat lay? “Always think about balance in terms of how many items you have in the shot – odd numbers usually work better — and negative space.”

One of the first (and most luxurious and amazing too) press trips I took last year was for the @lepetitemaison pop to in Mauritius with @shangrilamauritius Suffice it to say, I was spoilt rotten. Have you been to Mauritius before? I'd love to go back and explore more of the island =

A post shared by Sukaina Rajabali (@sukainarajabali) on Jan 2, 2018 at 11:01am PST

Dima Sharif Online
Dima Sharif’s Instagram account offers Middle Eastern cooking inspiration in spades, with beautiful shots from her cookbook. Drawing inspiration from “real food and real ingredients,” she also features ingredients, seasonal produce, as well as products from her own gourmet brand, DS Organic Mooneh. “I’m inspired by what’s going on in the world we live in, environmental issues and especially soil and farming,” she explained. And the bonus? Following her might also lead to giveaway wins.

DS Mooneh Story (Part 1, part 2 in the next post) “Quality Is My Legacy.” In the first decade of the 1900’s, my grandfather was a well known produce merchant in Jerusalem. He had a few fruit and vegetable shops opened in the ancient city, from where he supplied hotels, eateries, and the food industry back then with their produce requirements. He did very well and within just a few years he expanded his business to cover many different areas within Palestine. He believed that the key to his success and what makes or breaks any business is primarily the quality of the product and as importantly the building of a relationship with his customers, where his product is catered to their individual requirements. Those practices proved crucial to his career over the years and set him up to expand his business to eventually export his products to more Arab countries as well as Turkey and Europe. As the business expanded and grew, so did his clients’ requirements. And at that time it was somewhat difficult to control the quality of the produce supplied by the many individual farmers. He knew that in order to guarantee the quality he would have to control the production process. Also at that time, the whole modern farming processes were just starting and early versions of untested pesticides were rapidly filling the markets. The idea of ‘chemicals in his food’ did not sit well with him and so he opted to continue purchasing only from the farmers who did not use these chemicals in their farms. That proved easier said than done, as more and more farms were using those chemicals. That was when he decided to take the matter into his own hands and start producing the supply himself as a means to control the process and guarantee the standards and quality he was after. Therefore, in the early 1930’s, he bought pieces of land in the Jordan Valley, East of the River Jordan, and started his own fruit and vegetable farms. Those farms were the first man-made farms in Jordan and through the years became widely known as the oldest, largest and best quality farms in the whole of Jordan. Doing so, he was able to produce the quality he believed in (part 2 next)

A post shared by dimasharif.com (@dimasharifonline) on Jan 21, 2018 at 9:04pm PST

Halal Gems
The ultimate authority on halal restaurants in London and beyond, this Instagram account provides the inside scoop on where to find the best food — they have got a great eye for hidden gems — with a mouthwatering parade of images of burgers, bakes, ice cream and desserts.

At Halal Gems, we understand that there is a diversity in the preferences of halal diners. We get lots of messages from people who are looking to dine in halal restaurants that don’t serve alcohol and so we’ve put together a guide to restaurants in London that are both halal and alcohol free (Link in bio)

A post shared by Halal Gems (@halalgems) on Jan 4, 2018 at 1:18pm PST

Dalia’s Kitchen
This stylish Syrian-German based in Dubai combines images of things she cooks up in her (equally stylish) kitchen with quick recipe videos and endearing family pictures.
Saudi Food Eman
Providing much-needed insight into Saudi Arabian cuisine — and with it, Saudi culture — this YouTube star has curated her Instagram account into sequential posts highlighting ingredients, recipe videos and the final product. The pictures are as bright and colorful as the food itself.
Halal Girl About Town
Going by her Instagram feed, HGAT is probably the embodiment of the location-independent digital nomad. Her feed is flooded with all the yum stuff she eats at home base London — from pide to pizza — and delicious shots from her travels.
Tazzamina
This lifestyle influencer has a great eye for top shots (cue, fabulous flat lays) for her food images, which she mixes up with fashion, luxury and parenting posts.