JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is home to diverse and interrelated rich food cultures. The food industry in the region stands as one of the pillars of modern social life, with a cozy and visually appealing ambiance that brings people together.

Picking a restaurant used to be simple with the help of good reviews in the paper or a friend’s recommendation. Now, the Internet is flooded with Instagram posts, TikTok videos or food blogs praising the latest restaurants.

This illustrates how much technology and customer preferences have changed the way everyone eats in unexpected ways and tempted them to relish the variety of food out there.

Several studies have found that most people pick restaurants based on social media photos alone. But does the food taste as delicious as it looks? The answer, of course, is subjective.

“If the food is just a gimmick and doesn’t taste good, I don’t post it,” Abdullah Algarousha, who has a food-focused account — About Jeddah — on Facebook and Instagram, told Arab News.

“These days food is designed especially for social media feeds. Simple dishes these days have turned into bright colors, unique and unusual creativity is shown in them. Sometimes the quality of the food is excellent, but at times a dish is put together without any concern for whether or not it actually tastes good, just as long as the aesthetic is right.”

Abbas Abu Camellia, a food blogger, has about 99.8 thousand social users following his work. He is more interested in genuine reviews and clicking good food pictures, and refuses to review a place unless the restaurant is good and offers delicious meals.

According to research by Deloitte, there are about 340 million posts on Instagram for #food and 124 million for #foodie. It said that consumers made choices based on the visual appeal of food, while the taste was secondary to social media worthiness.

For many, dining experiences are no longer just about great food or drink, but about creating experiences that can be clicked and documented for memories. Today’s customers want good food, great service — and terrific photos.

“Consumers, now more than ever, have become more reliant on digital channels. To remain competitive, one of the marketing strategies we implement is to promote our business through social media platforms and delivery applications,” said Ruba Mohtaseb, owner of Ms. Moh bakery store. “Most of my customers are looking for a unique experience that can be posted on Instagram as well as other social media sites. Hence, I give them what they want.”

“But it would have been good if we had local food review applications in the Kingdom as it would have made it easier for people to know what’s new and what’s available in the city,” she said.

Most food entrepreneurs believe that the time has come to embrace an application to search for the best food and dining experiences. The creation of a food finder and review application could be used to find nearby restaurants with honest and truthful reviews and ratings by consumers and well-known food critics, along with the menu, location and contact details. The application could be used to find top-rated cheap eats for fine dining.

Ahmed Darwish, F & B marketing consultant and food critic on The Foodies Inc., said: “We are in the process of having an application that can allow the consumer to compare restaurant choices by rating, cuisines and popularity levels. Moreover, this application will provide not only food reviews from our perspective but also from other food fans. We also plan to have an easy-to-navigate knowledge base that will consist of top 10 romantic restaurants or sushi places or dessert bars to help customers pick their choice of dining easily.”

The Foodies Inc. is a consultancy services agency that provides help to restaurant owners in raising awareness for their food business, and targets food lovers looking for the best meals in different parts of the Kingdom. To engage more openly and directly with the restaurant owners, Foodies Inc. has started an Arabic podcast and its own English program on SAUDIA Radio.