Dubai-based food blogger Mr Taster recalls how an octopus changed his life

You can usually tell when someone is into food. It's that glint in the person's eyes when they are near a treat or talk about a meal. The way their nose scrunches as they breathe in that last gust of flavour, the questions that seem to just bubble forth, about spices and techniques and the best way to eat something. That slightly glazed-over look that they get when you try to make conversation instead of starting on the meal.

And that's how we identify Mr Taster, real name Hubert Sepidnam, at the Content Creator Legends and AI conference in December. He has his quirky glasses on (multi-hued and multi-shaped) and a ready smile as he ushers us into a room to talk about his journey from a marketing professional, who would be glad to see 10 likes on a post, to a viral online sensation where people travel and try new foods just because he recommended them.

Recommended For You

Lives at risk: UAE Filipinos watch in fear as typhoon Fung-wong batters the Philippines

'The Night Manager 2' teaser: Tom Hiddleston returns to unearth an arms conspiracy

Alcaraz off to winning start at ATP Finals with win over De Minaur

Should you ‘feed a cold and starve a fever’? Find out if the adage is true

Dubai residents can help shape the city's future through new community initiative

 

With these unusual specs (one with a round frame and one that's square), a healthy dose of cheer and animation, you may think of him as a goofy guy with good luck. But speak to him and you'll discover an analytical mind that's poised to serve up the best stories behind a dish.

One of the OG food bloggers, the British-Iranian expat who is now based in Dubai tells wknd. that he was in London when a serendipitous tryst with an octopus, a camera, and a bored mind led to a change in career. “I was in London. I was in a search engine strategies conference. When I went to eat, I ate a baby octopus, and I put it on my page,” he recalls, adding that the post won him 400 likes. “My first thought was, 'so people like food more than marketing',” he laughs. And the idea of an online food board (or blog) was sown. Now, this was over 15 years ago, he explains, so the field was not littered with influencers trying to get their voice out; instead, there was an audience thirsty for news from around the globe, for stories on the exotic and unusual, for a byte of information of how the rest of the world lived and ate.

And so he began to zoom in on opportunities that allowed him to see more, to travel more, to collate more information for his channels. Today, his Instagram account has 2 million followers, his YouTube channel has 175K subscribers, and his TikTok has 718.2K followers.

Years on (he began in 2005), he's still enjoying the rewards of a job done right. “I love chef Gordon Ramsay. And recently he followed me. He sent me a message, saying, 'Congratulations for all you've done',” he says. Among the awards he's won are the Best Personal Brand Award of the year organised by the university of Zurich, Switzerland in 2021.

His success comes from a place of passion, he explains. “The thing about being a food blogger is, you have to try so many things,” he says, sheepishly. “And while it's really lovely for your taste buds, your body may not agree with you, because of your cholesterol levels.”

When it comes to his own health parameters, he admits to differing to his wife's decisions. “My wife takes me to the doctor every three months, so she's checking me all the time. And recently, I'm not eating much … I try to do exercise, swimming, but, you know, it's my job to eat every day,” he says, the sparkle returning to his eyes.

Completely against food (or flavour) discrimination, Mr Taster is quick to rattle off the names of his favourite cuisines. “I love Indian fare. I love Pakistani food, and Afghanistan. Persian food is from my country. I love it so much,” he says.

For his Persian food fix, he looks to home. “My wife is a good cook,” he says. He adds that he wants to showcase “Persian food to the world.”

The social media celebrity is on the lookout for more opportunities to learn about flavour profiles and habits. “I'm travelling to one country every month. We are going to start with Pakistan again. And going to go to Morocco, Egypt,” he says.

And while he's in these places, he will try to burrow into the food culture of the place. “Normally, I go to their [a local's] house. In Saudi, we made local Saudi bread, in Pakistan, I tried street food. I like to film street foods. Sometimes I go to the houses to show the culture and food in villages. Everyone's saying that the good content is coming from dangerous places. So sometimes I go to the dangerous places, but I'm not going to show danger. I'm going to show the love, the food and people,” he smiles.

Think of being an influencer as someone on a treadmill, says the veteran YouTuber; you can't stop. For success, you must diversify your channels, he stresses. “Try to be consistent. Have a strategy. If they [the creators] are saying, 'We have a post for Facebook', they have to do it every day. If they are putting one post for TikTok, they have to do it every day. Two videos for YouTube. They have to do it every week,” he says.

Mr Taster's adventures are a lesson in possibilities. “When I went to Balochistan, I saw the most hospitable people in the world; they killed 14 goats in one day for me. They were dancing the local dance, and they really appreciated being able to show their culture to someone from another country, because they were saying, everyone thinking it is dangerous here. I tried to show as much as I could on my channels and happily, when I see any Baluchi or Pakistani, they appreciate those videos,” he says.

He doesn't flinch from trying the unusual - milk straight from the camel? Boiled sheep head? Serve it right up. The idea is to learn the real story of a place, a people through their palates.

It's also this spirit of experimentation that colours his professional journey. He was in a class on artificial intelligence (AI), for example, when he realised the implications it had for content creators around the world. It propelled him to make it a highly discussed topic at the Content Creator Legends and AI conference. It offers people the opportunity to be geographically in a different space and yet be part of a project, he exclaims. “One of the things is global reach - it's very useful for that,” he says.

Mr Taster is a globetrotter who is committed to discovering the world one bite at a time, but he considers Dubai home. “I was invited [here], I was given golden visa to move. It's my home now, I love it. There are lots of opportunities, everyone is living in peace in this beautiful city. I don't want to go to anywhere in the world,” he says.

To craft your own legacy of food blogging, Mr Taster says, firstly, one mustn't get dejected. It may be a niche bursting with influencers but there's always space for good content. “Upskilling is important too. Learn videography, photography, marketing. I tried to be updated, going to the conferences, meeting people, watching the other people's videos, watching the trends,” he says.

“Now I'm a very good foodie. Ten years ago, I wasn't so I practised. Always keep learning,” he says, pumping his fist in the air. “Push, push, push, never stop.”

ALSO READ:

Karishma Nandkeolyar

karishma@khaleejtimes.com

Karishma Nandkeolyar loves working with words. As part of the lifestyle and entertainment beats, she enjoys discovering new things happening in the UAE as well as human interest stories that’ll tug at your heartstrings.