Cucumbers have – somewhat bizarrely – become THE ingredient of the summer, as you’ll know all too well if you’ve spent even a minute on social media recently.
It’s a bit of a surprising food to go viral, given how inoffensive cucumbers tend to be thanks to the fact they’re mostly water.
But they’ve become so in-demand that the social boom has actually been blamed for a shortage in supplies, with suppliers in Iceland said to be struggling to keep up with the demand in supermarkets.
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Kristín Linda Sveinsdóttir, marketing director of Horticulturists’ Sales Company (SFG), Iceland's farmers association, told the BBC that, while there are other factors at play for the shortage - including schools returning from the summer holidays and farmers often replacing cucumber plants at this time of year – she felt the trend is one of the main contributing factors.
"Everything is happening at the same time," she said.
"This is the first time we have experienced something like this.”
What is the viral cucumber trend?
It all stems from one person: Canadian TikToker Logan Moffitt, who’s been dubbed the ‘cucumber guy’.
He's forged a name for himself by coming up with tasty, creative ways to eat a whole cucumber, telling his followers at the beginning of videos: “Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber."
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There are various riffs on the theme, but most of the videos generally involve slicing a cucumber into thin pieces using a mandoline, and tossing these in a zingy dressing to create a salad that can be eaten in one go.
The idea is that it’s a relatively easy, low-calorie way to pack vegetables into your diet, without it feeling like too much of a chore.
“Finally tried the cucumber salad trend & man that yt boy did his big one!” one person wrote on X, adding: “I’m gagged!”
Someone else said: “This is bommmbb!! Y’all need to try Logan’s cucumber salad.”
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A third wrote: “Just tried the viral cucumber salad recipe from TikTok and it's f**king delicious, making it again.”
Is it good for you to eat an entire cucumber every day?
Cucumbers are packed with vitamins, and a cup of the stuff contains just 18 calories.
Daily Harvest nutrition adviser Carolina Schneider, MS, RD, told Delish: "They also contain antioxidants, which can help fight oxidative stress in the body.
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"Diets rich in vegetables are associated with better health markers, lower disease risk and overall improved health and well-being."
However, it’s not all good.
Schneider said that, while cucumbers are perfectly safe for regular consumption, excessive amounts of anything can lead to negative side effects, according to Schneider.
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"In the case of cucumbers, their high water and fiber content might cause digestive discomfort if consumed in large quantities," she said.
"That’s because fiber stimulates bowel movement, and for some individuals, especially those not accustomed to a high-fiber diet, this can lead to bloating, gas, or even diarrhea."
Indeed, it seems others on social media agree, with one tweeting: “Sometimes u need to eat an entire cucumber and this is the be - MOST GLUTINOUS GREASY DIARRHEA INDUCING way to do it.”
Someone else agreed: “Yall eating that cucumber salad that going viral only going to tear your stomach and a** up lmfaooo. Ain’t no way I’m putting chili oil in my food and eating it straight like that.”
Schneider also noted that variety is equally important, saying: "Eating the rainbow is a simple but powerful concept, as different colors of fruits and vegetables deliver a unique array of nutrients and health benefits."
Topics: Social Media, Food and Drink
Jess Hardiman