TikTok Star Emily Mariko Talks Her Salmon Bowl, Pregnancy Cravings and More in Rare Interview (Exclusive)

During an interview for her partnership with meal kit brand Green Chef, Mariko tells PEOPLE "a lot has changed" since she first went viral

Emily Mariko is opening up about all her biggest milestones.

The content creator — best known for her leftover salmon bowl, which she went viral for on TikTok in 2021 — spoke to PEOPLE in a rare interview for her partnership with meal kit brand Green Chef. Mariko, 32, revealed the inspiration behind the beloved bowl, her pregnancy cravings and more.

“It's been a little over two years since I went viral. And since then, I've gotten engaged and gotten married and gotten pregnant. So a lot has changed in that sense,” says Mariko, who married her longtime partner Matt Rickard in August, and announced her pregnancy in December.

“But other than that, my everyday life and my routines are pretty much the same,” she adds. “In some ways, things have changed a lot. But in others, I still feel like the same person I was pre-virality.”

Related: TikTok Influencer Emily Mariko Is Pregnant — See the Sweet Announcement!

Mariko’s signature video style features simple meals and ASMR. Her viral salmon bowl post followed the same formula; in her video, which was posted in August of 2021, the Bay Area native microwaved leftover salmon with white rice and an ice cube, then combined them with soy sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise and hot sauce to whip together a hearty lunch.

Her inspiration for the meal hits close to home. “A lot of the comfort meals that I make, like the salmon bowl, were things that my mom had made, or my grandma had made. So a lot of inspiration comes from my everyday life,” she says.

When the recipe first blew up, Mariko didn't pay attention to the hullabaloo. “I had my head down during the salmon bowl phase. I was focused on creating more content,” she says. “I tried not to look too far around and see what was happening outside of my own kitchen.”

In addition to family recipes, the TikToker finds creativity in her visits to the farmers' market.

“It's my weekly routine,” she says. “I come back home. I make a little list, and then I try to create a week's worth of dinners just based on whatever I bought."

Her passion for simple ingredients and easy meals make her partnership with Green Chef the “perfect” fit, she says. Mariko is launching a recipe series with the brand to showcase their meal kits, which include everything from Chicken with Sriracha Apricot Pan Sauce to Beef Tenderloin with Brown Butter Potatoes.

From the week of March 4 through the week of March 25, customers can choose from two Green Chef x Emily Mariko recipes per week to be delivered to their doors.

Related: Karlie Kloss and TikToker Emily Mariko Team Up to Make 2 Delicious Desserts in ASMR Cooking Videos

Naturally, Mariko’s favorite recipe is the Sockeye Salmon with Sweet Heat Pan Sauce. “If you're like me and you like salty-sweet, I think that this one is probably the favorite,” she says. “If you like my salmon bowl, you'll really like that particular dish.”

The collection of eight recipes is even satisfying the mom-to-be’s pregnancy cravings.

“I have been loving sauce,” she says of her food staples since finding out she’s expecting. “And a lot of these meals have a delicious sauce that goes over the whole thing. I think even if you're not pregnant, you're going to think it's delicious.”

As for her next journey into parenthood, Mariko says she couldn’t be happier.

“I'm so excited. We're so excited. I'm feeling really good,” she adds. “And Green Chef is going to be so convenient for when I'm a little further along, and maybe a little tired or don't want to cook as much or don't have as much time to go to the farmer's market, but still want organic healthy meals."

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