The trend, which involves various recipes centered around cucumbers, has seen an unprecedented surge in demand for the vegetable, leading to empty shelves in Icelandic supermarkets. Social media has been abuzz with posts linking to news of the shortage, with headlines like “TikTok blamed for hit to Iceland cucumber supply” making rounds on platforms like X.
- The Craze: Logan Moffitt, with over 5.5 million followers, started sharing daily recipes where cucumbers are the star. His catchphrase, “Sometimes, you just need to eat a whole cucumber,” has inspired millions, but nowhere has this hit harder than in Iceland.
- The Impact: Icelandic supermarkets report that cucumber sales have more than doubled, with other recipe ingredients like sesame oil and rice vinegar seeing similar spikes in demand. This sudden increase caught suppliers off-guard, especially since cucumbers are grown in cycles, and the trend hit during a natural dip in production.
- Local Reaction: While some, like supermarket chain Hagkaup, suggest the shortage might not be entirely due to TikTok, pointing to seasonal shortages, the timing and specificity of ingredient sales suggest otherwise. Kristin Linda Sveinsdóttir from Iceland’s Horticulturists’ Sales Company (SFG) noted the recipe’s popularity but also highlighted this as an unusual market disruption.
- Looking Forward: Efforts are underway to stabilize the supply, with hopes that within a week or so, the cucumber supply will return to normal. However, this event has sparked conversations about the power of social media influencers on real-world market dynamics.
