Because of Korean Food Influencers... Iceland Can't Buy Cucumbers Due to Shortage

Canadian TikToker's Korean-Style Cucumber Recipe Explodes in Popularity
Cucumber Consumption More Than Doubles in Iceland

Recently, a cucumber shortage has occurred in the Nordic island nation of Iceland. This happened after a Korean food influencer revealed a Korean-style ‘cucumber salad’ recipe.

On the 23rd (local time), BBC News UK reported, citing the Icelandic Farmers Association and local supermarket chain officials, that cucumber consumption in Iceland has more than doubled recently, and production has not kept up with this increase.

This phenomenon was caused by Canadian influencer Logan Moffitt, who mainly covers ‘K-content.’ Since last month, Moffitt has been uploading cucumber recipe videos almost daily on the video platform TikTok.

Because of Korean Food Influencers... Iceland Can't Buy Cucumbers Due to Shortage

Logan Moffitt showcasing a dish made with cucumber
[Photo by Logan Moffitt, YouTube video capture]

Moffitt has showcased his advanced Korean cooking skills by making and eating Korean dishes such as samgyeopsal, kimchi, and bossam on TikTok and YouTube. Because of this, he is affectionately called ‘Rojanggeum’ among Korean fans and has already visited Korea several times.

One of Moffitt’s videos that recently became the hottest topic in Iceland features a recipe with thinly sliced cucumbers mixed with sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, and chili oil.

This video has recorded over 20 million views, and Moffitt’s TikTok followers have grown to about 5.5 million. Thanks to this, cucumbers have sold out in Icelandic stores, and Moffitt has earned a new nickname, the ‘cucumber guy.’

A food manager at the Icelandic supermarket chain Hagkaup said, “In Iceland, not only cucumbers but also other ingredients used in the recipe, such as sesame oil and chili oil, have seen their sales double.”

However, according to the Icelandic Farmers Association and supermarket officials, factors such as decreased production due to harvest season timing, in addition to Moffitt’s content, have influenced the recent cucumber shortage.