Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

Cucumbers are delicious fresh but they also offer plenty more options in the kitchen.

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.