April is a month of celebration, not only for spring but also for the rich and diverse culture of the Arab world. As we honor National Arab American Heritage Month, it’s a great time to spotlight the culinary heritage of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans in the food world. Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have become powerful platforms to share culture and connect communities, as well as celebrate diversity. Through social media, a generation of Arab American food creators have emerged, sharing recipes and reviewing restaurants and eateries. To celebrate this heritage, let’s explore some Arab American food creators on TikTok and Instagram who share their love for their cuisine with the world.

All of these Arab American food creators passionately share their love for traditional dishes, family recipes, and innovative recipes. As we celebrate Arab American Heritage Month, let’s take the time to support these creators. I assure you that you’ll be inspired to explore Arab cuisine in your own kitchen as well.

Ahmad Alzahabi

Ahmad Anzahabi (@thegoldenbalance on Instagram) is an Arab American food content creator who makes Arabic dishes like Chicken Kabsa. Alzahabi has his own recipe website called The Golden Balance, where he posts simple and easy recipes from different cuisines. He adds his own unique meal recipes as well such as his Mom's Tisiyeh recipe. He has videos of him making the dish, as well as the ingredients and instructions detailed. He encourages his followers to engage with him as well by telling them to tag @thegoldenbalance and use the hashtag #thegoldenbalance if they made his recipes and post them.

Summer Homayed

Summer Homayed is a Lebanese and American food creator with over half a million followers on Instagram and almost 270,000 followers on TikTok. She posts homemade recipes, including how to make hummus from scratch, Lebanese Fasolia Bi Lahme (white bean and meat stew), Palestinian Musakhan, and more. She does a great job at showing her viewers the step-by-step approach to creating a dish, showing them the process so they can replicate it. Homayed even includes the prices of the ingredients so viewers can estimate how much it costs to make it.

She even includes the history behind some of the dishes she makes. Palestinian Musakhan represents the strength and perseverance of the Palestinian people in the face of adversity, and how it brings people together to share a meal, stories, and memories. She believes that food has the power to unite us all, and that there’s something magical about certain dishes that transcends cultural boundaries. She is pretty active on both Instagram and TikTok, but tends to post more often on Instagram.

Lamees AtarBashi

Lamees AtarBashi (@cookingwithlamees on Instagram) is an Iraqi food creator who resides in America and focuses on posting Arabic and Middle Eastern dishes. She’s the author of her own cookbook as well, called Middle Eastern Delights. She highlights the recipes that she grew up with, as well as her own additions to traditional dishes to make them more unique. On her Instagram, she posts a lot of unique recipes. My favorite is the Watermelon Rolls. It features feta cheese, watermelons, and date syrup, and for AtarBashi, it was a constant staple growing up with her family. She added the unique touch of making them into rolls, which makes them perfect for gatherings.

AtarBashi also makes traditional dishes, such as Kunafa with her own spin on it. In this recipe, she makes mini Kunafas from scratch. In the past, she has made Iraqi Dolmas, Hikaka, and other dishes from her culture. I love her account because she has such unique recipes and additions, and she always makes sure to include a brief history of the dishes whenever she cooks something traditional from her culture.

Zain Qurashi

Zain Qurashi (@zain__qurashi)  is an Arab American food content creator who makes Arabic dishes like Chicken Kabsa (Arabic-style flavorful rice and grilled chicken). Qurashi makes sure to include detailed descriptions under his posts that outline the recipes and ingredients. He also makes dishes from other cultures, like this Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich.

Marcelle G Afram

Marcelle G Afram is an Arab American chef who has his own restaurant named Shababi in Washington DC, with a Palestinian Inspired Kitchen. They have catering, private dinners, and more. On his social media, Afram posts unique dishes that will be available on his pop-up menu for a limited time, such as this French Onion Labneh.

Yaseen Jawad

Yaseen Jawad (@oh_my_foodness on Instagram) is an Arab American home chef born and raised in Michigan but with roots in Sierra Leone. He cooks traditional Middle Eastern and African dishes based on the trending recipes circling around on social media. He showcases his passion for cooking on his Instagram. He makes his recipes tasty and also easy so that his followers won’t feel intimidated to step into the kitchen to try out his recipes.

Mai Kakish

Mai Kakish (@almondandfig on Instagram) is a creator who grew up in Palestine and currently lives in Chicago. She runs Almond and Fig, a food blog, which also has an active Instagram page. Kakish cooks to remember and stay connected to her roots, as well as share the food that taught her about her identity, love, and family. She cooks traditional Arabic dishes like Mahshi (stuffed vegetables) and makes sure to discuss the recipe and steps both on her Instagram and the Almond and Fig website.