Cucumber

Name: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) — a long, cylindrical, green-skinned fruit with crisp, watery, pale flesh and a mild, cool flavour, usually eaten as a vegetable. English and pickling cucumbers have their own pages.

Description

Cucumbers are native to India, where wild relatives still grow in the foothills of the Himalayas, and have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years. They spread to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, and were carried by the Romans across Europe. They were one of the foods the Israelites missed in the desert, according to the Bible. China is the largest producer today.

Cucumbers are about 95% water, which is why they are so refreshing and so low in calories. Some varieties can be bitter, because of cucurbitacins in the skin and near the stem, which is why many cooks cut off the stem end and peel the skin.

Main nutrition value

Cucumber is very low in calories and provides vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium and a little fibre, with most nutrients in the skin, and a very high water content.

How best to be consumed

Cucumber is eaten raw, with its skin if tender.

1. Slice into salads, sandwiches, wraps and mezze, or serve as sticks with dips.
2. Blend into tzatziki, raita and cold soups such as gazpacho.
3. Salt slices to draw out water for salads such as Japanese sunomono and Korean cucumber salad.
4. Add to water for a refreshing drink, or use in smoothies.
5. Peel waxed skins, and store in the fridge, wrapped, for up to a week.

Overconsumption could cause…

Cucumber is safe and healthy in food amounts.

1. Toxic squash syndrome from cucurbitacins, natural compounds that make a squash or gourd intensely bitter, and which can cause severe stomach upset, hair loss and even death in rare cases, so always taste a little raw and discard the whole fruit if it is very bitter.
2. Gas or burping in some people, from compounds in the skin and seeds.
3. Possible effects on warfarin and similar blood-thinning medicines because of the vitamin K content.
4. Waxes and pesticide residues on the skin of some shop-bought cucumbers, which can be removed by washing or peeling.

GroupsSquash and GourdsGourd family (Cucurbitaceae)Low fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin KFresh

Related foodsEnglish CucumberPickling CucumberBitter Gourd / Bitter MelonZucchini / CourgetteChayoteYellow Squash

Wikipedia — Cucumber, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber