TikTok trends often come and go, but one particular trend involving a food item in Iceland has persisted longer than some would like.
The trend gained traction due to the efforts of Logan Moffitt, a Canada-based TikToker, who has garnered the nickname ‘cucumber guy’ online.
Logan initially gained attention by sharing recipes for cucumber salad, often starting his videos with: “Sometimes, you just need to eat a whole cucumber.”
He later expressed his gratitude to the ‘cucumber community’ on Instagram.
He wrote: “Cucumber community!!! Thank you for the crazy amount of love and support on the cucumber series. It’s been so exciting to see you all sharing your recipes and loving cucumber as much as I do🙂🫶🥒 More cucumber (and non cucumber) recipes coming very soon😙💚🥒.”
In a subsequent post, Logan added: “CUCUMBER COMMUNITY!!!! This month has been crazy, thank you guys so so much for all the cucumber support. I’m so glad to see my fav vegetable getting the recognition it deserves💪🥒 keep the recipes coming and love you guys so much💚🥒.”
The trend has reached Iceland, where influencers have been sharing a unique salad recipe featuring grated cucumbers, sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and chili oil.
Though the TikTok trend appears to be harmless fun, it has led to an unexpected spike in cucumber demand.
This surge has left suppliers struggling to meet the demand, with the Horticulturists’ Sales Company (SFG), Iceland’s farmers association, revealing to BBC News that suppliers are facing significant challenges.
The Hagkaup supermarket chain in Iceland has attributed the supply issues to the popular TikTok trend.
They report that cucumber purchases in the country have more than doubled.
However, Ms. Sveinsdóttir from the SFG told BBC News that other factors might also be contributing to the supply problems.
She explained that many cucumber farmers replace their plants around this time of year, which might not yet be yielding large quantities of produce.
Additionally, the return of children to school after the summer holidays can impact supply.
“Everything is happening at the same time,” she told BBC News. “This is the first time we have experienced something like this.”
Sveinsdóttir also noted that Icelandic farmers produce about six million cucumbers annually.