Interview: Jasmin Dieb, Average Arab Girl food Blogger

Syrian-American blogger Jasmin Dieb runs Average Arab Girl, a food blog dedicated to proving that health and taste can go hand in hand and providing a range of healthy recipes. Often, these recipes offer Syrian spins on American dishes, or American spins on Syrian dishes.  

Dieb has a BA in Economics and Arabic, an MA in International Business, and is currently pursuing her MA to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She lived in Dubai for a time, before returning due to the pandemic.  

Hayat spoke with Dieb about food, her heritage, and more: 

Having grown up in the US, what’s your relationship to your Arab heritage like? How did it develop over time, how has it changed, how has it stayed the same?

I’ve stayed very close to my Arab heritage even though I was born and raised in the states. My parents took me to Syria when I was only 40 days old, and ever since then they’ve made me spend every single summer there with my family. My first language is actually Arabic because my parents only spoke Arabic to me in the household. They also enrolled me in an Islamic school for 5-6 years growing up to ensure I learned more of the language and religion. So, without me even trying, I was always immersed in the culture and language. I grew up only eating Syrian foods, listening to Arabic music, learning the dances, watching Syrian dramas, etc.

Even though it sounds like I loved my culture, I was embarrassed by it at some points because I was bulled in high school for being “different.” But, as time went on and I reached college, I learned that being Arab is who I am and I’m extremely proud to be a Syrian-American.

I made sure to double major in Arabic to continue learning the language. After I graduated college, I decided to do my master’s in Dubai to further immerse myself in the Arab world. Then, I started my Instagram page and website and named myself the “Average Arab Girl” because I wanted people to know who I really was. I wasn’t trying to fit into the health and wellness industry – I was trying to make a name for myself! I show people the beauty of the Arab culture from the perspective of an average Arab-American girl. Overall, my relationship to my Arab heritage has always been strong and it will never change. 

How do you balance multiple heritages and cultures, both in life and in cooking?

I only found difficulty balancing my multiple cultures when I was in high school because I always tried to fit in with everyone else. But, after I left, I chose to surround myself with people who loved and appreciated every part of me, Arab and American. My current boyfriend loves to hear me play Arabic music or cook a Syrian meal with an American twist, or an American dish with a Syrian twist. My love for my culture definitely shows in my cooking because everything I make always connects back to the food I grew up eating.  

Batata Bil Saineh, from Average Arab Girl

Favorite dish, or a dish with a lot of importance to you?

My favorite dish is grape leaves stuffed with rice. I grew up eating it and I hope to learn how to make it very soon. It’s a very difficult dish to make, so when my mom makes it we always make sure to sit at the dinner table and enjoy it together. When my grandma would make grape leaves, it would be like 10-12 of us at one table eating grape leaves with our hands. The whole experience is always so fun and brings people together.  

Get recipes from Jasmin Dieb on Average Arab Girl.