The Future of Food is You: Nasim Lahbichi Transcript
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Hi everyone. You're listening to Radio Cherry Bombe. And I'm Abena Anim-Somuah. Today is the final episode of our mini-series, The Future of Food Is You. The past three Thursdays, I've had a chance to interview some incredible folks doing meaningful work around community building, content creation, and more. I can't believe this is our last episode. Capping off the mini-series, we have an exceptional guest, Nasim Lahbichi, also known as Lahbco on Instagram and TikTok. Nasim is a recipe developer, visual storyteller, and content creator. A native New Yorker with Puerto Rican and Moroccan roots, Nasim has used food as a way to educate, inspire, and share his heritage. I've always appreciated the kind energy and humor he brings to everything that he does. In this episode, Nasim and I chat about his early start on TikTok, the realities of being a content creator, and of course, his bright future in the world of food.
Before we get into our conversation, here are some future Cherry Bombe updates, Cherry Bombe's new print edition, Heart and Hospitality is out now. It's Cherry Bombe's 20th issue. So congrats to team Cherry Bombe for this one. From the cover star, Erin French of the Lost Kitchen, to Molly Yeh, Chef Lay Allston, and Pinky Cole, there are so many great chefs and amazing reads in this issue. You can order your copy at cherrybombe.com or pick one up at your favorite bookstore or magazine shop.
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Nasim, thank you so much for joining us-
Nasim Lahbichi:
Thank you for having me.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
... on the podcast. I'm super excited. You're a native New Yorker.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I am.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Born and raised.
Nasim Lahbichi:
In Brooklyn.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
What neighborhood?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Bergen Beach.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wow, I don't even know what that is.
Nasim Lahbichi:
You don't have to. There's nothing there. It's just schools. It's South Brooklyn. So I moved out when I was 18 because access to absolutely no part of the city that you really want to be in.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
So you moved into the city for college?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And you went to FIT [Fashion Institute of Technology]?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I went to FIT, I studied interior design. I lived in the city for one semester and I despised it. I just always felt so comfortable in Brooklyn, and I think there's little pockets of communities that you can really identify with and really relate to other people and just build a community, which is really nice. In the city it's a bit harder. It's tons of concrete buildings in the sky. Everyone is in the apartments, not saying hi.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Well, first off, what's food culture like in Bergen Beach?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I want to say Bergen Beach is more so Italian, Russian, Jewish. So you've got your delis, your bagel shops, Originals Pizzeria, which is my favorite pizzeria in New York City. Chicken Caesar salad slice, iconic, tasty. It's literally garlic bread with chicken Caesar salad on top.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And so then you come into New York and how are you experiencing food culture in the Big Apple?
Nasim Lahbichi:
So I think me experiencing food more so started when I was in my senior year of college. I really found my group of friends that wanted to just ... we had the money first off to actually go out and explore. We were getting paid more at our internships and we also were so deeply sad about thesis and just trying to get through it. So every Wednesday, Thursday we would go out and just dine. And I was in charge of always choosing the restaurant. So at this point I have decision fatigue because-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. Same.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Growing up in a multi-cultural background, I always gravitate towards cuisines and restaurants that have more flavor, punch, spice. And I was like, Italian food is great, I want to go out to whatever restaurants some of my friends want to go to, but let's also try this Indian restaurant. Or let's go to this Peruvian restaurant. It was really fun to see my friends who have never experienced that, who don't live in New York City, and getting them to experience culture through food the same way that I was able to.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And so you graduate from college, you are working, and in the summer of 2020 you decided to download TikTok?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yeah, out of sheer boredom, and the fact that I had the time because my thesis was finally finished. I came across TikTok or the idea of it back in January of 2020 and I finally downloaded it because I was so against the idea of it because it was pitched to me as a kid's dancing app. I was like, I don't want to see children dancing. I downloaded TikTok. I thought it was really fun. We were all sheltered in because of the pandemic lockdown. So it was a great way to distract myself during that time.
And then a lot of my friends suggested I wasn't able to find a job after school because I had a focus in experience design, which is popups, activations, and those were not happening at all for the foreseeable future. And I always loved sharing recipes on my personal Instagram. And my friends were like, "You should just post recipes on TikTok." So I did, and it was really fun. It gave me something to do. I was collecting unemployment. I kind of just kick started my passion for food again through food on TikTok.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Do you remember the first TikTok that you ever made?
Nasim Lahbichi:
No.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Okay. So according to your TikTok, you made a smoothie bowl in April of 2020. What implored you to create that content?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I think during that time a lot of people had the chance to nourish themselves. Especially living in New York City, you're so on the grind. Usually most of my friends, including myself, were always running out of the house. So that smoothie bowl was something that I usually had either the days that class started later or on the weekends. And I just thought it would be fun to explore my creativity in a different way.
I wanted to be a chef or in the culinary world when I was in high school, I actually applied to a culinary arts high school in Brooklyn. It no longer exists, but it was in Carroll Gardens, and I was accepted and I didn't go because there was a charter school in there, my mom was nervous, blah, blah, blah. So I ended up going to a different school. So it was fun to get to explore that side of my creativity again.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wait, that's awesome. So you always had this interesting spirit for food. So you're a college student in New York City, you're exploring eating out. How are you developing your relationship to food through cooking while you're in college?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Throughout college, I was on a college budget, so I was following that dollar dozen at Trader Joe's for eggs.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I ate the same Turkey sandwich every day for lunch because I didn't have the money. I was paying my own rent. I was paying my way through school. But I would invest in moments that I got to connect with friends through a meal. So I would invite them over and I'd host Grammy viewing dinners, charcuterie boards, I'd make a stew in my small kitchen dorm room. And it was just really fun to be able to nourish my friends in a way that I got to do so for my family back when I lived with them back in high school. So food was always a way to step away from the interior design side of myself where I was just focused on design aesthetics, which can be like all-encompassing sometimes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Do you find that any of the stuff you learned there is translating now into-
Nasim Lahbichi:
Oh for sure.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
... your content?
Nasim Lahbichi:
A lot of people have mentioned it to me recently. I'm very grateful for them bringing it up because I think when you're in your own work, you're so in it that you can't step away and actually realize what you're doing. And my friend Zaynab [Issa], she's a food editor at BA -
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, fun.
Nasim Lahbichi:
... Bon Appètit, and she's one of my first friends that I made on TikTok. She is one of my favorite people. And she said, "I can always tell when it's your video because of the composition. Every single video has this beautiful aesthetic that is Nasim and Lahb Co." And I didn't realize that that's because of what I learned in interior design school. I learned composition, I learned how life plays-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Rule of thirds.
Nasim Lahbichi:
... color theory, what colors pair well with each other. What's visually stimulating is visually stimulating. And some people will gravitate towards it and some won't, and that's okay. But it's yours and it's your brand and you're able to-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I mean, going back to the food and community thing, I remember the first the party I ever threw was my parents got me this mini quesadilla maker when I moved into my college dorm. Back when Victoria’s Secret used to do the fashion shows-
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yes.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
... I hosted a fashion show, like Victoria's Secret party. My dorm was the size of the studio and there's like six of us on the floor watching, eating quesadillas. So there's something really special about community through ... you don't need a fancy dinner party to really show community. So I think that's another awesome friendship point for us. You create content in your Brooklyn kitchen. Can you describe the setup for us?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Well, it's very small. I live in a pre-war building. I have two roommates too. So it's a kitchen with many pots and pans. The cupboards are not all mine unfortunately.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
One day.
Nasim Lahbichi:
One day. One day. The setup is honestly ... a lot of people wonder how I cook in that kitchen. And it's actually more efficient than you would think because everything is so close. So I never really have to move from the stove to grab something. It's either a long stretch of the arm to grab some spices, maybe like a kick at the leg to grab some coconut oil.
And I was cooking in another kitchen a couple months ago for this event, and it was so big that I was running around the kitchen and I was honestly tired at the end of the day. But the setup is just well managed. I am very clean. I make sure I clean that kitchen every day. Growing up in Brooklyn, you make sure that stove is spotless before you go to bed. And that's something I've had to teach my roommates, which is frustrating sometimes, but that's okay. Everyone learns at their own pace. Yeah, it's very easy. And I really do appreciate the kitchen that I was blessed with because this light that I get every morning is honestly what I think also distinguishes my content from other people.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, you are blessed with. Your natural light.
Nasim Lahbichi:
It is.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I mean, for a long time I thought you had a light box in there, but that's ...
Nasim Lahbichi:
Natural sunlight. And I've been leaning more into gloomy days for a different vibe. But I just love the brightness and the energy that comes with that kind of light.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And what times are you catching the light?
Nasim Lahbichi:
So I'm catching the light around 9:30 to noonish. It depends. Also depends on the time of the year, because right now I'm noticing the light is moving way faster and I have to speed up like I did this morning.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wow. Yeah. I mean, you made a really awesome cookie recipe that I wash on the way here.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I brought it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. I'm excited to taste it IRL [in real life]. For those of us who haven't seen the TikTok, what are in the cookies?
Nasim Lahbichi:
What are in the cookies? So the cookie recipes are riff on this pumpkin miso chocolate chip cookie that I made last year. And it was my favorite cookie I made the entire year. My friend Bridget made it at least eight times within the span of the fall, winter season. But this year I've been seeing a lot of pumpkin recipes and I'm tired. She's tired.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Already?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I think so.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Pumpkin just stepped on the scene.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Pumpkin has been valedictorian for a decade. She needs rest. So I wanted to really highlight other flavors that I think also bring that same coziness that pumpkin and pumpkin spice bring. So it's a sweet potato, miso chocolate chip cookie. And in place of pumpkin pie spice, I use Ras El Hanout, which is a Moroccan spice blend that has turmeric and clove and allspice and nutmeg. It has similar spices to pumpkin pie spice, but it has a little more like umami. There's also coriander in it and cumin, which you think in a cookie would be weird. It's masked beautifully with the brown sugar. You're fine.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
No, yeah. If cardamom can exist in cookies, cumin can definitely exist in them as well.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Exactly. It's also vegan and plant-based. There's no eggs. It's made with coconut oil. It's one of my favorite cookie recipes that I've made.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's awesome. You mentioned it's a Moroccan spice blend and you come from a mixed household, your dad is Moroccan and your mom's Puerto Rican. How is that showing up when you're cooking?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I've had a lot of people recently ask me how do I come up with recipes? And I think everyone, regardless of where you come from, you have an innate passion or skill set that just comes so naturally to you. Some people are great with analyzing things. I just really understand flavors and I just think of pairing them sometimes together in a way that maybe someone else wouldn't have. But that also stems from the kind of background that I had growing up in Brooklyn. So not only did I grew up in a multicultural background with a Moroccan father and a Puerto Rican mother, but my Aunt Linda is from Trinidad. I grew up with a best friend who's Haitian, another best friend who's Italian American. My other bestie, Lauren, is Syrian Israeli. So-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wow.
Nasim Lahbichi:
... I had foods from all across the globe on a plate in front of me throughout my entire childhood. And that really informs your understanding of flavor, spice, what kinds of recipes work well, which recipes you prefer, and what kind of flavors that make you feel really comforting. And at the end of the day, it's okay to not like something, but give it a try once, and if you don't, that's fine.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah.
Nasim Lahbichi:
You tried it once, you have a reason why you don't like it, and then you can go ahead and find something else that makes you feel really comforted.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I think you're getting the flavor palates that a lot of people crave coming just to New York City alone, but you grew up with that. And I think what I really appreciate about you as well is you constantly educate your audience on different flavors. I learned about preserved lemon paste from you. It's now a staple in my house.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I love.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Why has that been super important for you as you're creating your content?
Nasim Lahbichi:
At first, when I started content creation, I was just sharing recipes that I thought ... there's not enough people who I thought cooked or felt confident cooking. And my mission has always been to make someone feel safe wherever they may be through cooking, through food, or through a meal on the table. And now it's getting people to understand the nuances of cooking, where certain recipes or the cultural relevance and significance of certain ingredients. So preserved lemon paste comes from Morocco, but it's also used throughout North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia. There's a lot of fights sometimes in my DMs about how harissa is actually from Tunisia, which is very true. But Moroccans also use it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I thought it was from Morocco this whole time.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I did too until someone called me out and I did some more research and I was like, yeah, it's actually ... it originates from Tunisia. But that's also the beautiful thing about social media is like, I love when someone calls me out. Okay.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Respectfully though.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Respectfully, with peace and love. Respectfully. I think it's important to hold people accountable and to educate them. If you know more than ... I'm not the encyclopedia of cooking and food, I never will be. And that's okay. I like creating the space for people to have this conversation. And that's more so what I'm on a mission for is not to be the person that knows everything, but to create the space where everyone feels confident and comfortable to learn and feel a little uncomfortable not knowing.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Are there things you're hoping to keep sharing or teaching your audience as you keep creating more content?
Nasim Lahbichi:
It's always been difficult for me to feel like I could claim an identity to a specific culture or community, just because as a third culture kid, I was always gringo enough to be Puerto Rican. I didn't speak Arabic or Moroccan, so I didn't feel like I could claim that part of my heritage or my culture. I was also queer without even really knowing. I'm still learning about my queerness. And so food was the main way that I was able to explore my identity in different ways. And I'm still learning Moroccan food, I'm still learning how to cook Puerto Rican food. But also finding those two flavors and seeing the parallels and the differences. I like bringing people and whoever's following me on that journey with me, but also exploring other flavors through friends that are Mexican, who are Indian, respectfully showcasing those dishes and maybe showing my take on them, but also respecting the origins of it, which is very important.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. And I think food is ... it's almost the perfect vehicle for that. I always make the joke that every culture has a soup, every culture has a dumpling. How it manifests itself is completely different. And I think similar to you, I grew up in so many different countries with so many different friends. So when you're never really live where you're from or where your ancestry is from, I think food is the best way to preserve those memories. It's like your grandma's recipe. Some cultures don't even have recipes. Ghanaian culture, it's not a recipe culture. It's someone passed it to grandma who passed it to grandma. But now we're seeing this new era where I think social media is helping a lot of people connect to the niche cultures and niche cuisines that they're from.
Nasim Lahbichi:
It's interesting. My grandma, Grandma Bruny, is Puerto Rican, but she does not cook Puerto Rican food at all. I cook better Puerto Rican food than she does, respectfully. Like she said it too.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wow. That's your own granny!
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yeah. I mean we are making pasteles for the holidays and I kept telling her, "This needs more flavor and spice and salt," and she would not listen to me. And their feedback from the family was, it was lacking flavor. And I was like, "Listen, this is my job now."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah, no I can't. I cannot cook any Ghanaian food. I'm like, I need ... the time is ticking if I don't learn now.
Nasim Lahbichi:
It's beautiful to actually explore Puerto Rican food on my own and be inspired by other people who may not be related to me because everyone's own mother has a different take on arroz con gandules or tembleque, I remember-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes, I remember that TikTok.
Nasim Lahbichi:
That TikTok.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Well, Nasim can you tell us what tembleque is?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Tembleque is a coconut custard that originates from Puerto Rico. There's also different iterations throughout Latin America. This one is usually made with just coconut milk, corn starch, and you just let it set overnight. I think that it's such a beautiful vessel for other flavors to shine as well, because coconut milk is very strong in flavor, but it also is a beautiful palette for other spices to shine as well alongside.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
It's a very versatile baking ingredient.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Very versatile. I added corn to it and cardamon because I was inspired by corn this season. I just saw an abundance of it at the farmer's market. And then also cardamom and coconut in India are an amazing combination. Vegan rasmalai is made with corn and cardamom and I believe rosewater or like ... yeah, jasmine.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And what's rasmalai?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Rasmalai is an Indian dish, like a custard dish, that's made with I believe milk, cardamom, and pistachios. And the first time I experienced it was with my mom at an Indian restaurant near Central Park. It was the most amazing experience that we've ever had. To this day, we have to go back. She always mentions it. That was also fun because my mom's lived in New York City for 60 years and she never had Indian food in that way. And it was beautiful to have had that experience with her.
It was interesting to blend these cultures that I'm so heavily influenced by, and then to have a community of Puerto Ricans from the diaspora come and try to hold me accountable for appropriating a dish that I've had the pleasure of experiencing my entire life because I am Puerto Rican. But also, I respectfully talked about the origin of the recipe while also showcasing this is an opportunity for you to bend it a little and experience. It's like art. You can make the same line, but why not add a swivel sometimes or add some color here? It frustrates me sometimes, but I also understand where those people who feel so heavily upset or disrupted by it are coming from. And it's because sometimes food is one of the only ways that a culture feels empowered when systems in place are always putting them down or they're-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Exactly.
Nasim Lahbichi:
... like these communities are so marginalized all the time that food is the way that they bring the community together and nourish the community, but also feel a sense of pride.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Let's touch a little bit more about talking with your audience. So you have 500,000 followers on TikTok and 300,000 followers and some change on Instagram. How have you developed a community with your audience?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I think of everyone who follows me as a friend of a friend a friend. I try to treat everyone with kindness as much as I would like them to treat me with kindness and try to also humble myself all the time, which I probably do, but it's also imposter syndrome most of the time. It's scary sometimes. It's very scary, but it's also very inspiring and I feel a lot of pride when I get to talk to people, especially if they DM me or just send really nice comment.
For the most part, everyone has been really kind and gracious, which is all that you could ask for. I've been very blessed with the people who have decided to bring me into their life and through their social media. And I just try to treat them with as much kindness as much as I would want them to treat me with kindness. But also I try to ... they're my besties. I talk to them. I talk a lot about dating, I talk a lot about family stuff. If I'm really sad, I share sad music and I'm like, "We're all in the same boat, let's play some Banks right now. It's fine. Let's vibe."
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And I think what I've appreciated about you too is that, well, we can talk about the content creator landscape, but you just always exude an air of authenticity, whether it's in your cooking, whether it's in your personality, whether it's in your own learning journey. And I think that's something a lot of people really admire. But it must be really stressful constantly having to talk to people on social media all the time. How do you find ways to be private or just to rest from all that?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Honestly, I still don't.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You're honest about it. Yeah.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yeah. I am still learning to create those checks and balances of separating like church and state, work and life. But it's also hard when your life is your work and your work is your life. Especially with social media where people are coming to you for your recipes, but then they're also coming for your personality. They want to know how your travels are going, the music you're listening to. So a lot of the time I am really happy to be able to share parts of my life. It's fun for me to look back at too. Sometimes I go through my stories from a year ago, I'm like, This time last year I was going through a really bad breakup. It was my first one ever. And-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You never forget your first.
Nasim Lahbichi:
You never forget your first. I had a dream about it last night.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Woo.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I'm proud of myself for being able to see how I've transitioned and how much more empathy I've had for myself, but for other people. I'm still learning those ways to separate how I interact online and also respect my own boundaries.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
When you started posting your TikToks, you were still in school, you're about to graduate, and then what motivated you to keep posting, first of all?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I think it was the fact that I was just very bored. I was still trying to find a job and I saw that there was a community that wanted to learn more about food that no one else was really talking about. There was an opportunity for me to also heal my own relationship with food. I had bouts of orthorexia back in college, which affects a lot of people, impressionable people at that age, within your early twenties, especially in school, especially in New York City.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Orthorexia?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Orthorexia, yeah. It's like just an unhealthy relationship and mindset around food, nutrition, wellness. So I was able to ... I think this is the healthiest relationship with food I've ever had in my life, where I just eat whatever I want. I'm like, it's fine, I'll walk it off. I'm climbing the 42nd Street train station stairs.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You're carrying all those groceries back to the apartment.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I'm carrying all those groceries. Exactly. I walked to Trader Joe's. And it was like a double sword. I was able to benefit myself in terms of my relationship with food, but I was also able to educate people. And one of my favorite things to do is to show up for people. I've always said I was put on this earth to serve others. And I think this is me being able to serve other people and inspire them. I'm that friend that gives advice, that will stay on the phone with you till 2:00 AM, or I'll share recipe or cook for you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
At what point did you go, quote unquote, viral, as the TikTok audience would say?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I think my first viral video ... which virality or the idea of virality has changed over the past two years. So my first viral video at that time was these blueberry baked oats.
Abena Anim-Somuah:|
You have almost a million views on that video.
Nasim Lahbichi:
It blew up for some reason. I love oatmeal. It's my comfort food to this day. And I thought it was really fun during the winter to bake it and kind of have dessert for breakfast. Desserts one of my favorite meals and breakfast is my favorite meal. So combining the two is like ... your day is off to a great start. Yeah, so that one did really did really well. It's actually in the new TikTok cookbook that just dropped.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Oh, congratulations.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Thanks. Yeah, I have two recipes in that cookbook. It was really fun to collaborate with them on that.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Amazing.
Nasim Lahbichi:
It was really fun to see people excited about trying something new in the morning, especially now that they had the time because they were home. And then also I did a lot of what I eat in a day videos, which honestly probably brought a large following to my platform or to my account. And that was really fun to just show people what I was eating throughout New York City, how I was nourishing myself in that moment.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
How were you feeling as you were getting more popular? Did you feel this urgency to cater to those audiences or are you more just, I'm just going to do my own thing and people are going to come see this?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I definitely probably did not have the healthiest relationship with content creation back then. I posted a video once a day, six days a week for eight months, nine months.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Wow.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And that's gone way down now?
Nasim Lahbichi:
That's gone ... two times a week and that's it.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Girl we are blessed.
Nasim Lahbichi:
I need sleep. I need sleep. And also you run out of ideas, you get burnt out. Any creative who tries to create constantly is not going to create the best work, which is fine. If you want to do that and that's how you want to explore your creativity and different avenues, that's great. And I think that's what I did in that time. And I found my rhythm. And with that rhythm comes an opportunity to experience and explore more in depth in different ways and be able to thoroughly create content that makes you proud and happy. And then people can also feel that excitement through that video as well.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
With content creation, it's super important to be authentic. People can see right through it as much as you want to-
Nasim Lahbichi:
It's true.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
.. air that you're authentic. It's like when people say, "I'm really humble." It's like you can't really say you're humble. You have to show that you're humble.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yeah.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I think that also rings true for authenticity. I'm sure people are coming to you for advice. People are looking to you for inspiration. What would you say to somebody that's starting up similar to you two years ago?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Create because you're passionate about what you're creating, not to be a famous creator. There's the people who are famous because they're famous, and then there's the people who are famous because they're an activist, because they change the world, because they inspire others. I'd rather be the person who's famous or influential because they're doing something good for the collective. And I think when a lot of people are about to start this journey of wanting to create content, they are, one, comparing themselves. And we all know that comparison is the thief of joy.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Amen.
Nasim Lahbichi:
And two, they are yearning for this stream of people coming to their content and applauding them for it, which is honestly, of course anyone wants that. But it takes time to build that community. And then also it takes time for you to feel confident in front of the camera and to find what works best for you. So the first video that I posted on TikTok, I really don't talk like that. I mean, maybe I do to myself.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. That's your inner dialogue that we all got to hear.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Unfortunately. It's not how I want to compose myself online, which is fine. My inner monologue is my inner monologue and it should stay that way.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yes, yes.
Nasim Lahbichi:
But yeah, I think for anyone who wants to create content, take it easy on yourself and don't put so much pressure on yourself. And I know that's hard. As a Virgo, I constantly overanalyze every single thing that I do. But it's also really important to give yourself rest and to feel comfortable with maybe not creating the best video sometimes. Not every video is going to be great.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
It's also an incredibly lonely job. I know you have all these followers, but you're also really the only one in front of that camera. How have you found community within the content creator space?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Honestly, I'm still very lonely. I literally was probably about to cry about it last night. If I'm being honest-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
You should have called me!
Nasim Lahbichi:
It was midnight. And I-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I was sleeping.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Three glasses of wine, I was not the best person to talk to at that moment.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Next time.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Creating community with content creators who are in your niche is very important. You want to be inspired by the other artists who create. Let's say you're a cook, let's say you're a dancer, find the people who will go to the function with you, who will go out to eat with you. We met at a cooking ... no-
Abena Anim-Somuah:
At a Cherry Bombe event.
Nasim Lahbichi:
At a Cherry Bombe event. Right. And I came across Cherry Bombe actually ... I think I was doing research for my thesis and I saw Cherry Bombe. Yeah, so like finding creators who work well with you and also inspire you is very important. But also finding people who take you away from that space. So I have a lot of friends who are creators that don't work in food. My one friend Charlotte is in makeup and skincare. I have another friend who does dancing and is an artist. I think it's really important to be able to surround yourself with other creatives who inspire you in other ways. Because if you're just working through one single lens, it's going to get boring. You're going to feel bored and you want to have as much inspiration coming from all avenues at you at once.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Yeah. You are a reflection of the people you're with, right?
Nasim Lahbichi:
Exactly. I all think ... we are all multi potentialites.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
We contain multitudes.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Yes, we contain multitudes. I like fashion as much as I like painting my nails as much as I like cooking fish.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
I'm going to give you a few topics to just riff on a prediction for. Are you ready?
Nasim Lahbichi:
I'm ready.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Okay, let's do it. The future of social media platforms.
Nasim Lahbichi:
More diverse and empathetic.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The future of cookbooks.
Nasim Lahbichi:
More storytelling.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The future of snacks.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Plant-based.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
The future of grocery stores.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Also plant-based and affordable.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
And then last one, the future of diversity in the content creator space.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Holding people accountable.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
Nasim, thank you so much for being on the podcast.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Thank you. It was my pleasure and honor.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
So we're going to do a fun The Future of Food of is You tradition where we ask you to leave a voicemail in our mailbox. So you're going to be talking to Nasim 10 years from now. You've reached the mailbox of The Future of Food is You podcast. Please leave a message after the beep.
Nasim Lahbichi:
Hey bestie, it's been a decade and I hope you figured out how to actually use the planner efficiently by now. If not, I guess we'll never learn this late in life, but I can only imagine you're still in New York City, hopefully in a brownstone at this point with a huge garden, a puppy, a baby, hopefully in a relationship. I hope you're writing your second cookbook at this point. I'm currently working on our first and it is scary and intimidating, but we're excited regardless. And Aunt Linda is still pestering us about making those recipes, but she is still having troubles with her iPhones to get to it.
I also have to hold you accountable in true Virgo fashion, first by confirming that we got to do everything we strive and crave to bring into our life. First things first. Did you take dance classes yet to learn how to elegantly rattle and move that body of bones? Next, did we get to open a cafe and restaurant? What about our secret little project about salook? And have we opened a boutique hotel yet? Get to it because we need to make that happen.
Are you still anxiously attached? We can't be running through these streets with the codependency. You're getting to the age where high cortisol levels and three cold brews a day are actually literally not good. And lastly, are you happy? Do you have a community? Did you find new loved ones that ground you as much as they pull you out to the club to dance? And do you call mom and dad once a day? Savor them while they're here. Anywho, I'm proud of you. I know many people don't tell us that often, but I need you to stop being so hard on yourself and to take each hour one at a time, dive into everything but know when to get out of the water and eat a snack because swimming can be exhausting and a cramp is how you drown. I love you.
Abena Anim-Somuah:
That's it for today's show. Nasim, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today. You can follow him @lahbco, that's L-A-H-B-C-O on Instagram and TikTok. And thank you for listening. I've enjoyed talking to Nasim, Sarah [Teich], Abi [Balingit], and Stephanie [Loo], and learning about what inspires them and their futures in the world of food.
Thank you to Cypress Grove, maker of award-winning American goat cheese for supporting The Future of Food is You mini-series. The Future of Food Is You and Radio Cherry Bombe are a production of Cherry Bombe Magazine. Thanks to the team at CityVox Studios, Newsstand Studio, studio engineer Joseph Hazan, Executive Producer Kerry Diamond, Managing Editor Catherine Baker, and Assistant Producers Jenna Sadhu and Krista White. Catch you on the Future Flip.