Arany Ramos is an English teacher, but while she waits for a permanent position, she works at her family's bakery in Lanzarote and publishes videos about restaurants and gastronomy in generalIn an interview with the radio program *Más de Uno Gourmet* on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, she explains how as a child she wanted to be a YouTuber and how she has finally managed to become a gastronomic influencer on TikTok and Instagram with thousands of followers, especially on the island of Lanzarote and the rest of the Canary Islands.
- Are you from Lanzarote?
I lived in Gran Canaria, because my father was from there and my mother went to live there, but my maternal family is from Lanzarote and now we live here
- Your studies have nothing to do with gastronomy…
No, I studied the primary education degree, specializing in English.
- And how do you end up talking about gastronomy on social media?
I've always liked creating content; I wanted to be a YouTuber since I was little. I started creating content for other YouTubers, as a fan account. I decided to upload videos to TikTok until one day, a video of me trying food went viral.It actually went viral because of things I said that people took very badly. I just said the place was too far and that for me it wasn't worth it, but hey, I realized that food videos were what worked on my account and I was happy, because I love trying places and recommending them
- How long have you been on social media and how many followers do you have?
I've been doing this for two years and I have almost 14,000 followers on TikTok and I've reached 10,000 on Instagram. Until recently, I thought I only had followers in Lanzarote because I post content from here, but people have recognized me in the town where I used to live in Gran Canaria.It's very complicated (for a woman) to eat on social media. The difference is very noticeable
- How are you handling suddenly being a public figure for many people?
It's very strange. I've gotten used to it here. In Navilán, a lot of people recognized me and it was strange at first, but I don't know, now it's like part of my daily life and it's normal.
- At Navilán you worked on a project with your family, is that right?
Yes, we were with the New York Rolls, which had gone viral with that name. They are from my family's bakery, it's called Arjery, in Arrecife.
- How do you choose the venues you talk about?
Either randomly or directly, he would say, "I'm going to try this one because a lot of people watch it," he would record, and that was it
- Do you suffer a lot of hate on social media?
Yes, for being a woman and for being a foodie.
- For being a woman?
It's very complicated (for a woman) to eat on social media. The difference is very noticeable. What they say to me is not the same when I make a video similar to other influencers. For not having a normative body, for eating. Like: "That's how it is".
- And how are you handling it?
At first, I used to reply a lot to haters and say: "Don't mess with me, you don't know how I live, you have no idea about my life," but then what I did was remove those kinds of comments, and if they comment like that, they don't show up anymore. Also because I'm afraid children might see that and it could affect them.
- And what has been your favorite place to film?
The penultimate collaboration I did was with the cheesecake shop and it went very well, honestly. The owner contacted me and I loved it because it was also a place I wanted to try and it's delicious.
- How do you choose the places?
I try out places that I know my audience will like.
- What is the profile of your followers like?
I thought it was all teenagers, but there are also people over 40 who follow me and tell me so.
Do you still have hope of being an English teacher?
I hope so. I'm waiting for a position.
- Do you earn a lot from social media?
No way, I barely make any money. I can't live off this, and it's very difficult here in the Canary Islands.
- Do you recommend a plan B?
Sure, I studied, now I'm in the family pastry shop, and I'm also a TikToker
- What is your goal as a TikToker? To be super famous?
No, I don't want to be super famous, I'm trying it out and I love it. People are super nice on the street, that's great. I'm just uploading content because I like it and the day I stop liking it, I'll stop uploading.
- And do they write good things about you?
On the last day of Navilán, a guy approached me and told me he'd been following me for a long time, that he's from Lanzarote and had never seen many of the places I show, that he writes them down, that he goes and that he loves my content, and I was like, "Oh, how sweet." I don't know, I wasn't expecting it, but I really loved that he told me.
