A salmon and rice bowl is the latest TikTok recipe to go viral.
Straight from the platform that gave us baked feta pasta, Emily Mariko's go-to 'leftovers' recipe has exploded in popularity on TikTok, with the app users completely enthralled by the unusual manner in which the dish is prepared.
Starting off with a grilled fillet of seasoned salmon with a gorgeous gold crust and crispy skin, Mariko uses a fork to flake the fish apart. She then scoops steamed rice into the bowl and tops it with an ice cube before scrunching down a sheet of wax paper wrap to cover the contents.
@emilymariko Best lunch of the week!
♬ original sound - Emily Mariko
She pops the bowl into the microwave for a few minutes, then tosses the rice and salmon together, tops with soy sauce, a generous drizzle of Kewpie mayonnaise and sriracha sauce. Garnishing with sliced cucumber and avocado, she eats every portion with a side of tangy kimchi.
Then, with the confidence of an expert cook, she pulls out strips of seaweed, envelopes a portion around the rice and fish mixture using chopsticks and devours the perfect bite. Each of her videos ends with Mariko smiling into the camera with great satisfaction.
While the dish seems like a twist on a de-constructed sushi roll, which is trend-worthy in and of itself, the part that has really got people talking (and scratching their heads) is the ice cube.
Mariko’s technique is actually quite technical, helping improve the overall texture of the reheated foods. The ice doesn’t seem to melt in the microwave. Instead, as it heats, the condensation evaporates into steam that keeps the grains plump and hydrated, making it sticky and delicious.
With the simplicity of the dish and the finesse Mariko displays when preparing it, people have become obsessed with her videos, repeatedly watching them for their own satisfaction. As one TikTok user by the name of Ashley Danielsen put it: “My FYP (For Your Page) is at least 50% videos of Emily Mariko cooking, or people trying her leftover salmon and rice meal. And yes, I too plan to try it soon.” The video already has 34.4 million views.
@myplantbasedkitchen @emilymariko inspired duh ❤️🔥🤌🏻 ##sushiricebowl ##salmonricebowl ##vegan ##vegansushi ##tofusalmon ##plantbasedtiktok ##plantbasedrecipes
♬ original sound - My Plant Based Kitchen
With many of her 2.6 million followers flock to her profile for calming cooking videos, some enjoy testing out her videos video trends to experiment with their own twists on the dishes. Marinated tofu versions for vegans, canned tuna for a budget-friendly version and the addition of scallions, chopped green chilli and sesame seeds for extra flavour have been tested out.
Whether you’re eating Mariko’s original recipe or playing around with your own ingredients, the consensus seems to be unanimous – the recipe is a winner.