Viral TikTok cucumber recipe responsible for supermarket shortages in Iceland

Icelandic farmers are struggling to keep up with supplies after a viral cucumber recipe that spread on TikTok is believed to have overwhelmed the national supply.

The Nordic country is currently in a dilemma: Supermarkets are reporting a doubling of demand for the cylindrical vegetable after a salad invented by famous foodie Logan Moffitt – also known as the Cucumber Guy – was imitated by influencers.

The Horticulturists' Sales Company (SFG), which represents the country's farmers, told BBC News it was unable to keep up with rising consumer demand, adding that it hoped supplies would return to normal “in about a week”.

Daniel Sigthorsson, 30, who lives in Reykjavik, said The New York Times There were no cucumbers in the grocery stores in his area. “I just thought, 'That's weird,'” he said, laughing. “It's one of the things we never run out of in Iceland. And then I saw the news.”

On TikTok, Mr. Moffitt (@logagm) is considered the leader of the “cucumber community” and shares numerous recipes for cold, crunchy cucumber salads in a jar. With more than 4.8 million followers on the app and an average of two to six million views on most videos, Logan has caused a stir with his delicious, easy-to-prepare cucumber dishes.

“I was about to go to sleep, but I was craving a whole cucumber,” the celebrated chef said in a video posted on July 19.

Logan's typical cooking style involves using a whole cucumber and slicing it with a mandoline over a Tupperware container. He then adds various flavors and seasonings, most notably soy sauce, chili flakes, minced garlic, sesame seeds, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Finally, Mr. Moffitt shakes the container vigorously, mixing the ingredients and eating one cucumber slice at a time with a pair of metal chopsticks.

Kristín Linda Sveinsdóttir, director of SFG, said supermarkets have noticed an increase in other ingredients used by the TikToker. “Everything is happening at the same time,” she said, adding that the social media trend is one of the main contributing factors.

“This is the first time we have seen something like this,” said Ms Sveinsdóttir, asking whether the trend had started earlier in the year, “when the [cucumber] “Production was running at full speed” and inventory levels would not have been affected.

Icelandic farmers pride themselves on growing potatoes, rhubarb, beets, radishes, carrots, broad beans, peas and strawberries despite the island's challenging climate. They even use geothermal energy to grow even more tropical fruits and vegetables in greenhouses, such as peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.

But the trend is not only a danger for the stock markets – some influencers also injure themselves when trying to cut the vegetables with a mandolin.

TikToker Jackson Dean didn't make it past the first level when he accidentally got his fingertip caught in the mandolin blade.

“Moments before disaster,” read his on-screen caption as he announced that he had rushed to the emergency room shortly afterwards.