Everyone loves cucumbers (except a few cats-have a laugh at their expense here). Did you know that this crunchy salad staple has been a favorite veggie all over the world for thousands of years? Here’s a few facts on the cucumber. 
- Like zucchini, butternut squash & pumpkin, cucumbers are part of the gourd family.
- First grown in the wild, India is where the cucumber originated & was cultivated, dating back to 2000 BC (and they’ve been pickled since the beginning, learn more from KPBS). It was traded with middle eastern culture & later gained in popularity in the Greek and Roman empires.
- The Persian Cucumber is a hybrid, first grown in 1939 in Israel, and is now the most popular variety in Southern California, where growing conditions are more optimal than in other parts of the US. You can brush up on your Persian Cucumber facts from the LA Times here.
- Used for relief for many ailments, the cucumber has been an ingredient in holistic medicine for thousands of years. A couple of proven remedies you can try with a slice are putting it on sunburn to relieve the pain, or placing on the roof of your mouth and holding with your tongue for 30 seconds to cure halitosis.
- Where does the phrase “cool as a cucumber” come from? The inside of the veggie can be as much as 20° cooler than the outside.
Wanna know about the nutrition info of cucumbers? Visit Healthline for the benefits.