If there is one thing the pandemic has done, it has brought everyone together through social media. In particular, TikTok has had a massive growth in viewers throughout quarantine and it doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Almost every week, a new song or dance trend keeps viewers enticed and coming back for more, but there are also a variety of videos for those who aren’t interested in dancing or singing . Outside of these videos, one of the more popular categories right now is cooking or “TikTok chefs”. Without further ado, let’s dive into the wide world of cooking on TikTok with two popular TikTok chefs that actually happen to be from the Bay Area:
Emily Mariko
If you are on TikTok and haven’t heard of Emily Mariko’s (@emilymariko on TikTok) salmon rice bowl, you may be living under a rock. This easy-to-make recipe has garnered Emily millions of views on her videos and has made thousands of people run to copy her every step. Although Emily’s rise to fame is new (6.4 million followers on TikTok and counting), she has actually been posting recipe videos for quite some time, and just happened to blow up specifically because of her salmon rice bowl and no-waste, sustainable lifestyle. Emily has also gained attention for her organizational videos where she takes us through how she arranges her fridge and how she manages to buy food on a week-by-week basis. I personally think Emily’s videos are great for those who are busy or don’t have time to make elaborate meals (like college students) because they can be affordable, quick and delicious!
Newton Nguyen
Newton Nguyen, better known to his followers as @Newt on TikTok, has gathered views in a more comical way. Newt’s approach shows off his cooking skills in recipe-like videos with hilarious voice overs. Some of his more popular recipe videos include foods such as spam musubi, cheese ramen and garlic butter shrimp. Although Newt’s dishes take a little bit more time to make, his funny personality and charm have helped him accumulate 8.3 million followers on TikTok. If you happen to have spare time between classes and are able to make one of Newt’s dishes, I highly recommend trying the spam musubi (one of his easier, but equally as yummy recipes)!
These are just a couple chefs to get you started into the wide world of cooking on TikTok, but I guarantee they won’t disappoint. Don’t be afraid to put your own spin on these recipes and post your own version: you never know – you could end up creating the next hit recipe on TikTok!