Zaha is a finance enthusiast and banker who has recently turned into a food blogger and influencer on Instagram. Originally, she belongs to Tenali, Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, India, and is currently residing in Michigan, United States.

Zaha holds an MBA degree in finance and has previously worked at a private bank in India. Right now she is finding balance in life through cooking and organizing. On her Instagram page, Flavoromas, she shares easy recipes and lunch plates daily with a touch of lifestyle inspiration.

Icy Tales is in conversation with banker-turned-blogger Zaha aka Flavoromas.

Q) What inspired you to start doing food blogging from being a banker? What moved your financial abilities to these aromas of food?

Zaha- After relocating to the United States, I could not work due to visa formalities, but the situation allowed me to explore my passion for cooking. Every day after my husband leaves for work, I do not have a lot of things to do, therefore to pass my time I started creating new dishes for my family and friends. Then people started to enjoy and appreciate my skills and creativity in my recipes. Their encouragement pushed me towards creating my own Instagram page. I started posting my daily recipes and creations for food lovers.

Q) What is your take on organic/vegan food, which is actively being promoted?

Zaha- I truly appreciate that as now people are making health their priority and moving towards healthy options but I also do believe that it’s very subjective and depends totally upon the individual and what suits best for him or her. 

Q) What is your opinion about normal ‘home-cooked food’ being replaced with salads, oats, etc?

Zaha- I think it’s great that people are becoming more interested in eating healthy food options like oatmeal and fancy salads because it’s important to take care of your body. As what you are taking inside your body has a lot of impact on your overall health.

But at the same time, home-cooked meals hold a special place in our diet. Those meals hold a lot of memories and love, those are surely unbeatable. So, in my opinion, one should not sacrifice one for the other, instead should have the best of both. 

Q) As a food blogger your content is very diverse than what we normally see other content creators doing related to food, your content is more about eating healthy and not about those viral food challenges – how and why you decided to opt for this side?

Zaha- My sole idea for Instagram was not to pick some viral videos and try those for sharing with my audience but I do appreciate those people who do these challenges, that is just not my cup of tea. I am very mindful of what I post, I only share recipes that I have prepared and consumed. I believe in reducing food waste, and for the same reason I avoid cooking just for the sake of the video, if I have made a dish then I should enjoy eating it behind the camera too.  

Q) In today’s fast pacing lifestyle how important do you think it is to eat meals together with your family?

Zaha- In my childhood, my sisters and I used to enjoy our dinner on the terrace in summer because it used to be very hot. My mom would lovingly serve the homemade food to us. Now if I look back to those moments then definitely they are some of the most cherished moments of my childhood. So, with this experience I am saying that it is very important to have some time together as a family and having meals together is one of the best things that you can do as a family.

Q) Have you ever thought of participating in cooking competitions or shows on TV? If yes why if no why.

Zaha- Participating in cooking competitions or TV shows definitely would be very exciting but it is not something that I have given a lot of thought to yet. Currently, I am very happy with what I am doing but shortly if an opportunity arises then I would like to think about these dimensions for my passion. 

Q) What should not be missing in your kitchen? And one thing that should be avoided in the kitchen?

Zaha- Without a doubt, the two items would be curry leaves and coriander leaves. These are the two most important items that cannot be missed because my dishes cannot be completed without them. The flavour that comes with the blend of these two leaves is commendable. I still remember that my grandmother was fond of these two spices, she would ask me to get them from stores so that we can have fresh leaves, not only my grandmother, I think almost all Indians are obsessed with these 2 spices. 

One thing that should be avoided in the kitchen is a mess, which is very difficult. Your kitchen is a place where your food is served so try to make sure it is very clean and tidy and avoid any mess. 

Q) What’s on your food bucket list? Anything you would like to make or something you would like to buy?

Zaha- I am a Biryani lover for sure. If I could get an opportunity then I would love to try Chicken Biryani from every state and region in India. It doesn’t weather it is a traditional recipe for Biryani that has been passed over and over from generations or new fusions and updated versions of it, I am eager to taste and learn from every region throughout the country.

Zaha, popularly as Flavoromas is a Banker who has recently turned into a food blogger after relocating to the United States. She is extremely connected to her Indian roots which makes her a hard-core Biryani lover. She uploads videos of new recipes every day plus giving the audience a page full of flavorsome and healthy food recipes. 

Zaha believes in enjoying food behind the camera so she is as real as possible, she enjoys every meal that she makes for her Instagram page. Currently, she is following her new-found passion and enjoying the same along with providing some great and interesting recipes to her social media followers. She has daily recipes with a touch of lifestyle inspiration.