Meet Debolina Ray on Trell - Best Microblog Award Winner in FBAI 2016 and Top contributor on TripAdvisor
Debolina Ray is a Bangalore based traveler, food lover and a fashion enthusiast. She won an award for the Best Debut Blog in 2015 and another for the Best MicroBlog in 2016 at the Food Bloggers Association of India(FBAI). Dive inas we uncover the story behind Debolina’s tryst with food and travel! She has been sharing wonderful food stories on Trell(@debbiedares). She was one of the community heroes at our last meetup called “How to start Food Blogging”.
While in conversation with her this is what she had to say:
Q. Hello Debolina,would you like to tell us something about your origin to our readers?
I am originally from Calcutta and I moved here to study. I work as a technical product manager in a software company.
Q. How would you describe yourself - A foodie first or Traveler first? What exactly got you into food?
I must say a Traveler. I have traveled a lot since childhood. I was dragged onto every possible vacation. Initially, I was writing about the food I tried while I traveled.
Q. What is the story behind SheKnowsGrub?
So I originally had a blog called WaysofTheWanderer which was kind of focused on travel and travel food. But I also started reviewing restaurants and suddenly food became the highlight of my blog. That is when I decided to shift to this new space where the focus would be on food, different kind of cuisines and stuff like that. So that’s how SheKnowsGrub happened!
Q. How long does it usually take to finish a blog post?
It really depends on what I am writing about. If it is a new concept, then I prefer to do some research about it and then go on to write. This usually takes longer than usual. If its something that is normal and something I have tasted then I could finish one in an hour and a half or so. Although, the editing and the choosing of pictures takes a long time.
Q. Now you said research, what did you mean by that?
By research I mean- basically to get into the culture and history behind a cuisine and the dishes. So there are cuisines where the culture of the area has a lot of impact on the food served. Like in Rajasthan, there’s some lovely vegetarian food, due to the Hindu Brahmins who stayed there for generations. Udaipur’s food is influenced by the Rajputs who ruled the kingdom, while Jodhpur has quite a bit of Mughal influence on the food since their invasion. So to be able to write about the food, this associated background is important to me. I need to have done enough research about these intrinsic details to understand the food being served, and also have that kind of palate to comment.
Q. Between pictures and content which one do you give more preference to?
I try doing a 30-40% photos and 60–70% writing. My blog is a little content oriented because I would want to describe what I ate and my thoughts on it. I use Facebook and Instagram for photos because it anyways focuses on that.
Q. What is the weirdest or the most exotic thing you have ever tried?
I like South-East Asian food. Hmm but exotic, I must say Reindeer meat. It is really delicious. I tried this initially in Sweden and then in Norway. I just love it. Its absolutely wonderful!
Q. How do you decide how much to share in terms of content?
I try to keep it as concise and relevant as possible. I highlight stuff that the readers should be looking at like what to order, what not to order, what I liked, what I didn’t at a specific place or a restaurant.
Q. Last question! Any body who wants to start off with blogging (could be in any space) in the first place, what tips would you like to give them?
Firstly, they should be able to write! Make sure you are able to express in style. Keep working, keep writing! Try getting feedback. Keep trying to improve. That is my motto, it works the best!
Check out her food stories she has shared on Trell-http://www.trell.co/debbiedares
Also look at her personal best: www.sheknowsgrub.com
Some of her personal favorites:
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