We had a good taste since the beginning of times!
Cucumbers had been known as a vegetable for over 6 thousand years. Originally cucumber comes from north-western India. The fruit of a cucumber, just like that of a pumpkin, is a berry. In India wild cucumbers grow in forests, they cling to trees as lianas. Fences in villages are covered with cucumber plants. When planted closely, the vines of cultured cucumbers climb up, clinging to the props.
Cucumber is found on the ancient Egyptian frescoes and in Greek temples, which gives reasons to speak about its respectful age. In China and Japan land-owners harvest this crop three times a year. First they grow cucumbers in boxes on the roof, and then plant them in a well-fertilized soil in the garden and tie to poles. Huge vegetables up to 1,5 m long are hanging from the vine-props. This Chinese sort is now cultivated in European greenhouses as well.
There was much more in Rus than crucian schools...
For ages cucumbers were among the favorite vegetable plants in Rus. In a popular agricultural guide dated XVIII century, we can read: “While in Russia… the cucumbers grow better than in other European lands, there’s no need to write much about them here”.
There’s no definite mind as for when the cucumber first made its appearance in Rus. According to some theories, it has been known as early as in IX century.
The first reference in literature to cucumbers in the Moscow state belongs to German ambassador Gerberstein and is dated 1528. A little later, in the 30-s years of the XVII century a flattering review of Russian cucumbers was given by the German traveler Adam Olearius (Oelschlaeger) in his “Travels of the Ambassadors sent by Frederic, Duke of Holstein, to the Great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia”. Peter I by his royal will issued a decree to found a special farm for growing cucumbers. It was in the XVII century, but the cucumber already was not an exotic product on the tables of common people. Travelers from the Western Europe noted that cucumbers are cultivated in Russia in monstrous quantities and could not understand, why they grow there better than in Europe.
Cucumber - a Medicine Plant
It’s interesting to note the fact, that everyone’s favorites – pickled cucumbers – improve male sexual potency. They contain large quantities of sodium, an absence of which would make life on Earth impossible. Moreover, they contain chlorine, which has a whitening effect and therefore whitens the entire intestinal tract. The cellular tissue, contained in pickles, stimulates healing of micro-traumas, improves the circulation of blood in the vessels. It has been proved that regular consumption of this wonder-product facilitates rehabilitation after different types of stress.
Here’s what they wrote about cucumbers in the “Medicine Book” three hundred years ago: “The water, in which cucumbers had been boiled, taken inside, calms the thirst, and if you add an ointment made according to all rules of juice of dog rose or rose and sugar, it stimulates the work of the bowels”.
Green he was…
Cucumber records are even in the Guinness book. So, the longest cucumber - 1,83 m - was grown in Hungary and belonged to the Chinese sort. The heaviest cucumber grown indoors weighed over 6 kgs, outdoors – 3,7 kgs.
Life for one cucumber
In ancient times, when cucumbers were very rare, Turkish sultan Mahomet the Second, vicious and greedy, once ordered to cut bellies of seven his servants in order to know which one of them ate one of the cucumbers he received as a present.
Today a cucumber would not provoke such violent scenes – it’s a usual vegetable in a garden, but we do not like it less because of that. Cucumbers have rather valuable gustatory, dietary and curative qualities.
Surprisingly, it’s the only vegetable we eat green, under-ripe. The history of how cucumbers got to our table is rather interesting by itself.
