Viral TikTok Cucumber Recipe Causes Supermarket Shortages in Iceland

Icelandic farmers are grappling with an unexpected surge in cucumber demand following the spread of a viral TikTok recipe. The sudden craze has overwhelmed national supplies of the vegetable.

The Nordic nation is now facing shortages, with supermarkets experiencing a doubling in demand for cucumbers. This spike is attributed to a salad recipe popularized by food influencer Logan Moffitt, also known as ‘the cucumber guy’, which has been widely replicated by other influencers.

The Horticulturists’ Sales Company (SFG), representing Iceland’s farmers, told BBC News that they are struggling to meet the soaring consumer demand. They are hopeful that supply levels will normalize within a week or so.

Daniel Sigthorsson, a 30-year-old resident of Reykjavik, shared his surprise with The New York Times when he found his local grocery stores were out of cucumbers. “I was like, ‘That’s weird,’” he remarked with amusement. “That’s one of the things we never run out of in Iceland. And then I saw the news.”

On TikTok, Logan Moffitt, who goes by @logagm, is widely regarded as the leader of the “Cucumber Community”. He shares various recipes for cold, crisp cucumber salads in a jar with his more than 4.8 million followers. His videos regularly attract two to six million views, making his cucumber dishes hugely popular.

In a video posted on July 19, Logan mentioned, “I was about to go to sleep, but I was craving an entire cucumber”. His signature style involves using a whole cucumber and slicing it with a mandoline over a Tupperware container. He then seasons it with soy sauce, chili flakes, shaved garlic, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Logan finishes by vigorously shaking the container to mix the ingredients and enjoys the cucumber slices using metal chopsticks.

Kristín Linda Sveinsdóttir, director of the SFG, noted that not only cucumbers, but also other ingredients used by the TikToker, have seen a sales boost. She mentioned that the social media trend is the main contributing factor, stating, “Everything is happening at the same time.”

Ms. Sveinsdóttir noted that this is the first instance of experiencing such a trend-induced surge in demand. Had the trend caught on earlier in the year, when cucumber production was in full swing, the stocks might not have been affected so drastically.

Icelandic farmers pride themselves on growing various vegetables like potatoes, rhubarb, turnips, radishes, carrots, broad beans, peas, and strawberries, despite the challenging climate. They even use geothermal energy to cultivate more tropical vegetables like peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers in greenhouses.

The cucumber craze has also posed safety risks, with several influencers injuring themselves while attempting to slice cucumbers using a mandoline. TikToker Jackson Dean injured himself by snagging the tip of his finger on the mandoline blade. He had to rush to the emergency department, as revealed by his on-screen caption, “Moments before disaster.”

Source: BBC News, The New York Times