Cucumber TikTok trend blamed for hit to Iceland’s supply

SFG’s marketing director said that as things stand farmers in Iceland are not managing to keep up with surging consumer demand, but said she hopes supply will be back to normal “in a week or so”.

Kristín Linda Sveinsdóttir told BBC News the recipe had proven to be “really popular” and other ingredients in the recipe were selling out as well.

The viral trend has its roots in Canada – where TikToker Logan Moffitt, dubbed “cucumber guy”, external, has been sharing novel recipes using the variety.

“Sometimes, you just need to eat a whole cucumber,” is the influencer’s go-to phrase at the start of his many recipe videos.

The content creator has more than 5.5 million followers and has been sharing cucumber recipes almost everyday since July.

The one that appears to have gripped users in Iceland uses sesame oil and rice vinegar, but sometimes Logan mixes in cream cheese, avocado, and even smoked salmon.

Despite the influencer’s enduring online popularity, experts in Iceland have been keen to play-down his association with the ongoing shortages.

Hagkaup told the BBC it is common to experience shortages in Icelandic cucumber at this time of year.

While the company’s food product manager, Vignir Þór Birgisson, said sales of ingredients like sesame oil and some spices have “doubled” in his stores, he said the current shortage is not solely due to the TikTok trend.