Iceland faces cucumber crisis as TikTok salad trend skyrockets
In supermarkets in Iceland, salad cucumbers have run out. It’s all due to a TikTok trend that has left producers unable to keep up with the enormous demand. However, experts downplay the impact of social media on the situation in stores.
BBC reports that cucumber shortages began to appear in Icelandic stores after influencers started sharing a recipe for a salad made with cucumbers, sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and chili oil.
"The recipe has been such a hit that farmers in the country have been unable to keep up with spiralling demand," reports the television channel, citing the Horticulturists’ Sales Company (SFG), an Icelandic farmers' association.
Hagkaup, one of Iceland's supermarket chains, indicated that cucumber sales have doubled. It noted that farmers are unable to meet the growing consumer demand. The recipe is so popular that other ingredients needed for the "TikTok salad" have also sold out.
Cucumber salad a hit on TikTok
The trend that has captured the hearts of Icelanders comes from Canada. Its co-creator is TikTok Logan Moffitt, known as the "cucumber guy." He has been posting new cucumber dish recipes almost daily since early July 2024 and has amassed 5.7 million followers.
He uses sesame oil and rice vinegar in the recipe, but sometimes the TikToker mixes cucumbers with cream cheese, avocado, or smoked salmon.
Experts underappreciate the impact of social media
However, BBC reports that experts in Iceland downplay the relationship between the social media trend and the ongoing shortages.
The Hagkaup chain argues that shortages of Icelandic cucumbers are common at this time of year. Vignir Þór Birgisson, the food products manager of the chain, also claims that it’s not the influence of TikTok. At the same time, he points out that sales of salad ingredients (e.g., sesame oil and certain spices) have "doubled" in his stores.
The Icelandic farmers' association maintains that the shortages are not solely the effect of the social media trend but also part of a regular market cycle. At this time of year, some cucumber farmers replace plants that aren't producing many vegetables. Moreover, with children going back to school, the pressure on supplies increases.
"Everything is happening at the same time," noted Kristín Linda Sveinsdóttir, a representative of SFG, in an interview with BBC. "This is the first time we've experienced something like this," she added.
In her opinion, if the trend had become popular earlier in the summer "when the [cucumber] production was in full blast," cucumber shortages wouldn’t have been noticeable.
The cucumbers that can be bought in Iceland are almost entirely produced domestically. The icelandnews.is portal reports that vegetables constitute 10 per cent of Iceland's agricultural revenues. In 2019, the turnover in this sector was about ISK 6 billion annually (around €39 million, excluding sales, distribution, and processing).
