Cucumbers usually go under the radar in the kitchen, but a viral TikTok trend has reportedly led to shortages in supermarkets overseas.

Cucumbers have been the star of the several recipe videos posted by TikTokers over recent weeks, consisting of salad with cucumber as the base rather than an addition.

TikTokers appear to have inspired home cooks so much that Iceland’s farmers association told BBC News the country’s farmers could not keep up with surging demand for cucumbers.

Major Icelandic retailer Hagkaup questioned the link between demand for cucumbers and the social media trend, but it conceded that purchases of cucumbers had more than doubled, along with ingredients such as sesame oil and spices – which often feature in the popular cucumber recipes.

The country’s farmers association also admitted other factors may be at play for the reported shortage, with some farmers replanting their cucumber plants at this time of year and schools returning from the summer holidays, putting more pressure on supplies.

@logagmCucumber haul!♬ original sound – Logan

In Australia, there seems to be no significant effect on cucumber supplies in supermarkets.

Iceland has a smaller base supply of cucumbers than Australia, with about 2000 tonnes produced annually compared to more than 90,000 tonnes, respectively.

A Woolworths spokesperson told The New Daily the supermarket chain has seen a slight increase in the popularity of cucumbers over the past couple of weeks, but this was likely driven by the warming weather and the quality of available stock.

Coles has also experienced customers adding more cucumbers to their baskets lately, and a spokesperson said the retailer was “thrilled” the latest social media food trend encouraged Australians to eat more fruit and vegetables.

One of the biggest drivers of the trend has been 23-year-old Canadian Logan Moffitt, dubbed ‘the cucumber guy’ by the internet.

Before going viral with cucumbers, Moffitt’s content primarily focused on Asian cuisines, particularly Korean; cucumber salads are a popular side dish in many Asian countries.

But he told Allrecipes he’d loved cucumbers since he was a child, and the cost-efficient staple goes with a variety of flavours.

Moffitt has had some fun with his newfound internet fame, even preparing a cucumber salad while submerged in a lake, but he usually keeps his videos simple in his home kitchen.

@logagmSometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber♬ original sound – Logan

The tactic seems to be working, with his growing popularity leading to sponsorships from brands such as Sephora and DoorDash.

“I think the reason why my new format is so well received is because it’s very simple,” he said.

“It can apply to all levels of home cooks: Advanced and beginner cooks can watch the videos and not be overwhelmed by a million different steps or complicated ingredients. It’s just stuff that we all know and love, especially cucumbers.

“I think the most surprising part is just that I was just playing around on the first video. I just turned the camera on, and I was like, ‘I’m just gonna make my video about the cucumber,’ because it’s true, sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber, and it’s just so surprising how much my little sayings have resonated on social media.”