Persian Cucumber • (The Difference, Nutrition, Benefits, & Recipes)

(PERSIAN CUCUMBER)

What is Cucumber?

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a part of the Cucurbitaceae family. It is a creeping vine that bears cucumiform fruits that are used as vegetables.

Cucumber plants naturally thrive in both temperate and tropical environments and that’s the reason cucumbers are the fourth most cultivated “vegetable” in the world.

Mostly used and looked at as a vegetable, cucumber is technically a fruit that contains 90% water. Cucumbers belong to the same botanical family as melons (including watermelon and cantaloupe) and squashes (including summer squash, winter squash, zucchini and pumpkin).

They are generally divided up into categories according to their most dominant attributes. There are three main varieties of cucumber: slicing, pickling, and seedless. The cucumber is thought to have originated in India and has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. Even though they’re available year-round, cucumbers taste the best in the summer. Cucumbers are high in water and low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

[ See: JIGAR • Iran | Persian Dating (iOS ⬇) • Iran | Persian Dating (Android ⬇) ]

There are different types of cucumber such as Persian, Lemon, Kirby, Japanese, English and Armenian.

Persian Cucumbers: What are they? And why you should choose them?

As its name implies, this type of cucumber originated in Persia (Iran). Nowadays Persian cucumbers are being cultivated all over the world. Persian cucumbers’ shape is cylindrical and squat and its skin is thin and easy to chew. They’re denser than other varieties, with almost no watery seeds.

The average length of Persian cucumbers is around 4 to 6 inches. Persian cucumbers have a smooth outer skin which is dark green and the cucumbers themselves are crunchy and sweet.

Because of their smooth skin, Persian cucumbers can be eaten with or without the skin and the flavor remains the same. Persian cucumbers are part of the “burpless” category.

Because cucumber seeds occasionally cause people to burp but Persian cucumbers are seedless so they are called “burpless” cucumber. Burpless cucumbers are usually sweeter and have a thinner skin than other types of cucumber. They are considered to be easy to digest and to have a pleasant taste. Persian cucumbers are also considered less bitter than other types.

There are several different cultivars of Persian cucumbers, both heirloom and hybrid, including Figaro and Cordito.

How Persian Cucumbers are grown?

Cucumbers are extremely susceptible to frost damage; the soil must be at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit for germination. The ideal time to pick a Persian cucumber is when the fruit reaches 4 to 6-inches in length.

If it’s allowed to grow bigger, bitter seeds may develop that will compromise the flavor. Any cucumbers left on the vine too long will also get tough skins and lower plant productivity. Cucumbers are picked by using a knife or clippers. The stem above the fruit is cut. Pulling the fruit may damage the vine.