“Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber” is how TikToker @logagm has 5.7 million followers and he posts mostly cucumber salad recipes. Logan eats a whole cucumber as a snack. He mixes a sliced English cucumber with rice wine vinegar, chili oil, MSG, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil together in his OG recipe and the video that went viral. Now, he has millions of followers on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook just because of cucumbers. Multiple creators on the platform have followed suit and made their own. I love cucumbers so I made some of his recipes and after many tries, and a little tweaking, I found the ones I like best.
One ingredient Logan always adds to his cucumbers is MSG. First invented by the Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 to enhance the flavor of dried seaweed, MSG (monosodium glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most common naturally occurring amino acids. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese. MSG isn’t bad for you. The FDA recognizes MSG in foods to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS), meaning having it in your food is not bad. MSG has been used as a food additive for many years. During this time, the FDA has received many reports concerning reactions that people have attributed to foods that had MSG in them. These reactions — called MSG symptom complex — include headache, flushing, sweating, face pressure or tightness, quick fluttering heartbeats, chest pain, nausea, and generalized weakness. Researchers have found no clear proof of a link between MSG and these symptoms. Although, as with other additives, a few people may have short-term reactions to MSG. Symptoms are often mild and don’t need to be treated. The only way to prevent a reaction is to not eat foods that have MSG in them. Not only is MSG safe to eat, but it also improves food taste and can be a healthy option for many, including those who might benefit from a low-sodium diet. Since 1998, MSG cannot be included in the term “spices and flavorings”. However, the term “natural flavor/s” is used by the food industry for glutamic acid. The following are alternative names for MSG: Monosodium glutamate or sodium glutamate, Glutamic acid, monosodium salt, Sodium glutamate monohydrate, UNII-W81N5U6R6U, flavor enhancer E621. Most home cooks will recognize the brand name “Ac’cent flavor enhancer” as a seasoning in many recipes.
According to Food Network, many fast-food chains including Chic-Fil-A use MSG in some of their foods. Some other foods include Doritos, Pringles, Hidden Valley Ranch, Cheetos, Boars Head Cold Cuts, Parmesan Cheese, gravy, protein powders, pepperoni, popcorn, and potato chips. Msg is usually buried in the ingredients list, so we don’t know it’s there and we enjoy every bite.
I have two recipes here for eating a whole cucumber, one as a side dish and one as a meal.
OG Tik Tok Cucumber
1 whole English cucumber washed (unpeeled) and sliced thinly.
3 TBS soy sauce
3 TBS fish sauce
3 TBS rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic grated (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp sugar (Splenda works too)
¼ tsp Accent
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili oil (I use garlic in chili oil)
Sesame seeds
Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until cucumbers are well coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
High Protein Cucumber (340 calories and 41 g of protein)
1 English cucumber thinly sliced
1 or 2 TBSP PB2 powder (peanut butter powder)
1 tsp chili crunch oil
1 TBSP soy sauce
Sprinkle of MSG (Ac’cent)
1 TBSP rice vinegar
2 packets of Sunkist Sweet& Spicy tuna
Mix all together until well mixed and enjoy!