Cucumber
A widely-cultivated vine fruit used as a culinary vegetable.
The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the family Cucurbitaceae that bears cylindrical to spherical fruits, used as culinary vegetables. Considered an annual plant, there are three main types: slicing, pickling, and seedless. The cucumber originates in Asia, in a region extending from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China (Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi), and Northern Thailand, but now grows on most continents, and many different types of cucumber are grown commercially and traded on the global market.
- Scientific name
- Cucumis sativus
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Origin
- Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Northern Thailand)
- World production (2024)
- 88 million tonnes
- Leading producer
- China (78% of total)
- Chromosome number
- 2N=14
Lore & Background
It was eaten all year round by the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who had raised beds on wheels moved to the sun and withdrawn in winter under frames glazed with mirrorstone. In the Middle Ages, Charlemagne had cucumbers grown in his gardens. The cucumber is an annual creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up trellises or other supports, wrapping around with thin, spiraling tendrils. The fruit is roughly cylindrical, up to 62 centimeters long and 10 centimeters in diameter, and consists of 95% water. Botanically, it is a pepo, a type of berry with seeds and an outer rind; culinarily, it is considered a vegetable. Most cucumber cultivars require pollination, often by honey bees or bumblebees. Some cultivars are parthenocarpic, producing seedless fruit without pollination. Cucumbers produce cucurbitacin C, which causes a bitter taste and may deter herbivores.
Reader's Guide
Its three main cultivar groups—slicing, pickling, and seedless—serve distinct culinary purposes: slicing cucumbers are eaten fresh, pickling cucumbers are preserved in brine, sugar, vinegar, and spices, and seedless (burpless) cucumbers are sweeter, thinner-skinned, and often grown in greenhouses. The plant's chemical defense mechanism, cucurbitacin C, contributes to the bitter taste of some varieties. The cucumber's genetic uniqueness—being the sole member of the genus Cucumis with 2N=14 chromosomes—and its sequenced genome make it a subject of ongoing research. Its mild aroma and flavor result from unsaturated aldehydes, and the polyphenol content is higher in unpeeled cucumbers.
Did You Know?
- The cucumber fruit consists of 95% water.
- Cucumbers produce cucurbitacin C, which causes a bitter taste and may deter herbivores.
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