TikTok trends come and go, but one food vendor in Iceland is certainly not happy with the longevity of the latest trend.
The viral trend started thanks to Canada-based TikToker Logan Moffitt, who has since become known online as the “Cucumber Guy.”
Logan began sharing his cucumber salad recipes, explaining at the beginning of the videos, “Sometimes you just have to eat a whole cucumber.”
The content creator has since thanked the “Cucumber community” on Instagram.
He wrote: “Cucumber community!!! Thank you for the incredible love and support for the Cucumber series. It's been so exciting to see you all sharing your recipes and loving cucumbers as much as I do 🙂🫶🥒 More cucumber (and non-cucumber) recipes coming soon 😙💚🥒.”
Logan Moffitt is considered the initiator of the trend. (Instagram/@logansfewd)
In a follow-up post, Logan added, “CUCUMBER COMMUNITY!!!! This month has been crazy, thank you all for your cucumber support. I'm so happy to see my favorite vegetable getting the recognition it deserves 💪🥒 Keep up the recipes and I love you guys so much 💚🥒.”
The trend has now reached Iceland: social media influencers from the Nordic country have shared a unique salad recipe made from grated cucumber, sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar and chili oil.
And while the TikTok trend may seem like harmless fun, the recipe has led to an unprecedented surge in demand for pickles.
This means that suppliers are having great difficulty keeping up with demand. The Horticulturists' Sales Company (SFG), the Icelandic farmers' association, told BBC News that suppliers are having great difficulty.
Iceland has a problem with the supply of cucumbers. (Getty Stock Photo)
Hagkaup, a supermarket chain in Iceland, has blamed the popular TikTok trend for its delivery problems.
They say cucumber purchases in the country have more than doubled.
However, Ms Sveinsdóttir of the SFG told BBC News that the supply problems could also be caused by other factors.
She stated that at this time of year, many cucumber farmers are replacing their cucumber plants, which may not yet produce large crops.
In addition, children return to school after the summer holidays, which can also have an impact on the offering.
“Everything is happening at the same time,” she told BBC News.
“This is the first time we have experienced anything like this.”
Sveinsdóttir further said that farmers in Iceland produce about six million cucumbers every year.
