Is the Cucumber A Vegetable or A Fruit?
Are cucumbers fruits or vegetables …is the big question. Ask 10 different people and get 10 different answers.
There are many ways to answer this question, but the debate is a long one.
Cucumbers are edible plants belonging to the gourd family. It's widely cultivated and makes a nutritious addition to any diet. Cucumber is usually considered a vegetable because of how it's used in the culinary world. However, as it grows from flowers and contains seeds, it's botanically a fruit.
Why Are Some Cucumbers Called Burpless Cucumbers?
Many people simply call them cucumbers, but these fruits are often called by various other names. These include picklers, Kirby cucumbers, West Indian cucumbers, African cucumbers, and salad cucumbers. You may even come across some that are called gherkins or waxed cucumbers. One popular variety is called burpless cucumber.
They all pretty much belong to the species Cucumis sativus, and they’re all closely related.
So why are they called so many different things?
The terminology comes from the type of cultivar of fruits being grown.
For instance, a pickler cucumber is an old variety that produces tiny fruits. These are grown for pickling instead of eating fresh, and they are typically less than 6 inches long.
West Indian cucumbers usually produce small fruits that are great for adding to salads. These are also known as gherkins.
The difference between a Kirby cucumber and a salad cucumber may appear to be minor, but it’s more than skin deep. The