Cucumbers belong to the Curcubitaceae, or gourd, family. They are believed to be native to India and have been cultivated in western Asia for about 4000 years. Eventually the succulent vegetable spread to the Mediterranean and was especially beloved by the Romans, who introduced it to the rest of Europe. The Spanish then took cucumbers to the "New World" and today cucumbers are a global crop.
In some parts of the world cucumbers are known as gherkins. It is thought that this derives from the Persian word for cucumber, "angahara", but in many instances a "gherkin" is synonymous with a pickled cucumber.
The two main varieties available in Australia are the Lebanese or continental (telegraph) cucumber. Lebanese cucumbers have a dark, thin skin with white flesh and a crisp texture. Continental cucumbers are longer and not as sweet as their smaller Lebanese counterparts.
Cucumber in your garden
If growing your own cucumber, a tip is to press four to five seeds in a mound, to help with drainage, and later thin to the two strongest plants. Cucumber seeds germinate best at 20°C, so avoid frosts in cool climates and plant during warmer months, while in tropical and subtropical regions you can plant for much of the year.
Esta historia es de la edición Issue #46 de Eat Well.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue #46 de Eat Well.
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ARE YOU TO FU enough?
Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion about tofu. Tofu is a very popular plant-based protein for vegans and vegetarians, but now this humble bean curd is starting to shine for meat lovers too as an alternative source of protein.
Sweet TRAYBAKES
Whether you want to feed a group of people or make a batch of treats for the week, traybaking is a no-fuss way to cook up something sweet and easy that will please everyone. Your family and friends will love you when you offer them some of our: cinnamon scrolls; fruity chocolate; espresso brownies; lemon & coconut slice; or ginger cake with brown butter frosting.
ROLL UP
When you roll food, whether in Lebanese bread, a thin pancake or whatever you choose, you can create a parcel of nutrition that is perfectly suited to your own tastes and needs. Here are some roll-up recipes that will suit every occasion including: mango, snow pea, & sprout rice paper rolls; oat crepes with coconut yoghurt & mixed berries; or beef meatball & tzatziki flatbreads.
RICE BOWL Lunches
If you are working from home, or even enjoying your weekend, and lunchtime rolls around but you have no plans for lunch, then a rice bowl is an ideal saviour.
PLANT-BASED PIES
Pies are a piece of gastronomic brilliance: a filling with a case and lid you can eat is food genius. The first pies date back to Egyptian times and there is a recipe for chicken pie that was carved into stone more than 4000 years ago. For millennia, however, the pie casing was mostly used to cook the filling, but for around 500 years or more we have been eating the pie crust too.
20 FOOD CRAVING HACKS
Decipher the deeper causes of your cravings and discover tricks to curtail them.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L)
Eggplant is a wonderful option for vegans and vegetarians, extremely nutritious and highly versatile in the kitchen.
5 PANTRY SAVIOURS
Whether you're cooking a simple breakfast or something more exotic, here are five pantry food staples you should have on hand to cook plenty of delicious meals in the comfort of your own home.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
Cucumbers are delicious fresh but they also offer plenty more options in the kitchen.
Our Chefs
Meet the chefs who bring this issue's recipes to you: Lisa Guy, Georgia Harding, Lee Holmes, Sammy Jones, Raquel Neofit, Naomi Sherman and Ames Starr.
