Who would have thought a simple cucumber recipe could take TikTok by storm?
Cucumbers, members of the gourd family, originated in Southeast Asia but are now cultivated globally.
Known for their long, cylindrical shape and bright green color, cucumbers are most recognizable in this form. However, with nearly 100 varieties available, they can vary widely in shape, size, and color.
Botanically, cucumbers are classified as fruits since they grow from the ovary of a flowering plant and contain seeds. Yet, in the culinary world, they are typically treated as vegetables due to their appearance, texture, and flavor, accoring to EatingWell.
Meanwhile, home chef Logan Moffitt posted a video showing how he uses an entire cucumber in early July.
This video wasn’t sponsored, but Logan, who already had 3 million followers before the viral cucumber recipes, wanted to highlight a favorite food. Since then, Logan has become known as TikTok’s “cucumber guy.”
His videos feature him slicing cucumbers with a mandoline, mixing them with different sauces and seasonings, shaking the mixture, and tasting it with silver chopsticks.
“Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber,” he frequently tells viewers. “This is the best way to do it.”
His easy but tasty recipes have received millions of views, encouraging other influencers to try his recipes or create their own.
Logan told CNN that cucumbers are great for many flavors and are affordable, especially this time of year, making them easy for many people to use.
Unlike most viral food trends, the cucumber’s popularity lasts longer than expected. Moffitt’s engaging recipes and digital skills have helped keep the cucumber trend strong.
TikTok chefs face a unique challenge: they must blend creativity with familiar recipes that viewers can rely on.
Jenna Drenten, a marketing professor at Loyola University Chicago, notes that people prefer “recipes they know, trust, and can return to.”
Logan has achieved success by making a common fruit memorable and engaging.
“Cucumbers are a kind of lame food,” Drenten said. “Produce-wise, they often do not often get all the fame and glory.”
In Logan’s kitchen, cucumbers shine as a versatile and healthy base for various recipes.
He’s passionate about showcasing the cucumber’s potential beyond the typical salad or sandwich topping.
From spicy cucumber kimchi to sweet peanut butter-and-jelly salad, his innovative cucumber recipe ideas prove that this underrated produce can be a delicious and unexpected ingredient in many dishes.
Logan’s popular recipe is a bagel-and-lox-inspired salad, mixing smoked salmon, bagel seasoning, cream cheese, capers, dill, red onions, and cucumbers.
Cucumbers and MSG are key ingredients in almost all his recipes.
Drenten notes that Moffitt’s cucumber recipe videos are effective on TikTok because they are short, visually appealing, and require little to no cooking.
Most recipes are served cold and rely more on strong visuals than detailed instructions.
Drenten noted that Logan is posting at an ideal rate. Since his first video on July 8, he has shared about 60 cucumber clips, including a notable one where he makes a salad floating in a lake. He posts new recipes almost daily.
She added that Logan’s fast-paced posting style works well on TikTok, keeping viewers engaged for as long as the algorithm allows.
Logan thinks his cucumber videos are popular because he keeps them simple.
He said that both beginner and experienced cooks can find inspiration in his recipes, which are often not precisely measured and presented easily and stress-free.
Meanwhile, Logan isn’t only known for cucumbers. He first became popular for easy recipes like kimchi and cold noodles and has recently featured tofu in his videos.
Despite this, cucumbers will always be his favorite, and he plans to keep enjoying them even after their peak season ends.
Watch Logan in one of his cucumber recipe videos below:
@logagm Best way to eat an entire cucumber
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Why is MSG added? A lot of us have an allergy to it as it can cause severe headaches, nausea, etc.