Recipes
Recipes From recipes to real connection, Sadam Emad, chef and TV personality at Roya TV, proves that sometimes the secret ingredient is simply being yourself on camera.
Recipes What made you decide to start showing yourself on camera instead of just presenting the food?
It started with a friend of mine. While I was already working on television, social media felt unfamiliar. At that time, my account was private. I rarely appeared on camera and mostly filmed recipes for myself and friends. One day, while I was cooking, she filmed me and shared the video on her social media without planning anything. The response she received genuinely surprised us, and immediately she saw something in that moment that I had not recognized. Therefore, she encouraged me to make my account public and began filming me often whenever I was cooking at home. Eventually, she taught me how to film myself using a tripod and how to edit my videos independently and successfully. Little by little, I started finding my own way of creating content, while becoming comfortable in front of the camera. That gradual process became the foundation of my journey on social media and shaped how I create content today.
Recipes How do you think about balancing the culinary craft with the storytelling side of building a brand?
For me, culinary craft and storytelling are deeply connected, because each one gives the other greater meaning and emotional depth. I always say that if you really want to understand a culture, you should start by experiencing its food firsthand. Whenever I travel, food becomes my way of discovering a place, because I taste its dishes and learn about its history, ingredients and flavors. Through those experiences, I understand more about the people, traditions and culture behind the food, which inspires what I cook. Then, I bring stories into what I cook and share, allowing each dish to communicate beyond its ingredients and techniques. Of course, technique and flavor must stand completely alone, but the story gives each dish another dimension and deeper meaning. Consequently, food is a complete experience, rather than simply something you eat, and storytelling is essential to delivering that experience.
Recipes What does staying authentic on camera require, especially when there’s pressure to perform for an audience?
I learned how to handle that pressure through television because I was already on TV before starting my social media journey. Suddenly, I found myself in front of four cameras during a live show, which initially felt quite overwhelming. To ease the pressure, I created a little game in my head, imagining I was simply cooking and talking naturally. Instead of thinking about millions of viewers, I focused on the cameramen behind those cameras, who are actually my friends. Therefore, in my mind, I was simply cooking for friends and enjoying the experience rather than performing. That mindset completely changed the way I viewed the camera, making the experience feel much more natural. Even today, whether I am live on television or filming myself on my phone, I ignore the camera. Instead, I speak as though I am talking directly to a friend, which helps me remain relaxed. Thus, this approach allows me to stay authentic, comfortable and completely myself whenever I am creating content.
Recipes How has building a more personal, camera-facing brand changed the relationship with your audience compared to before?
I think showing more of myself allowed people to understand that there is much more to me than just the recipes I create. Cooking will always be my passion and an important part of who I am, but I also love traveling, drawing, art, music and discovering new experiences. When I share the places I visit, the way I travel, the art that catches my attention or even the music I listen to, each reveals another side of my personality. Moreover, bringing all these interests together has made my content feel much more personal, authentic and connected to my everyday life. People are not simply discovering what I cook; instead, they are gradually getting to know the person behind the recipes and the content. Ultimately, I believe this transformed our relationship. People who once simply followed my recipes now genuinely connect with me as a person.