Cucumber is always a must to have- item on my salad plate. I know it is delicious and healthy as well but Do you know- is cucumber a fruit or a vegetable? If yes, Very good, If not- don’t worry, I’m here for you, we will together find the answer.
Today I will discuss some precise facts and details about this years-old issue. Possibly this question may have bothered you sometimes. Are you still keen to know the answer? Yes, then buckle your seat belts and stay relaxed -keep reading.
| Scientific name | Cucumis sativus |
| Family: | Cucurbitaceae |
| Order: | Cucurbitales |
| Genus: | Cucumis |
Is a Cucumber a Fruit or a Vegetable?
The general categorization for cucumber is always a Fruit. It may seem a vague statement but it is pretty easy to prove this.
On the other hand, if you like cooking & eating then cucumber should always play a common & very important part of your diet.
The facts and details relating to this interesting question are only meant to fulfill our informational requirement. Everything else is not so worthy. No matter what the answer is- for this obvious question, believe me, it will never affect you out generally, Anyway if you really wanna know then- trust me “A cucumber is a Fruit”.
Why is Cucumber considered Fruit?
cucumber surely qualifies to be considered as a fruit. There are many facts that explain why we can consider it a true fruit. The important facts you need to know about cucumber are-
- Cucumber contains lots of seeds. Yes, I know its pretty obvious, nothing important- You know that for sure. The importance is for considering fruit every organically grown product must posses some seeds. You can validate that- try it for science.
- Next, It grows from beautiful bright yellow flowers, and only fruits can do this. Technically, anything that develops from a flower is a fruit. You can see similar phenomena in the case of Okra or a tomato.
- It’s healthy, It’s tasty and I like it on my plate, isn’t it enough to say A cucumber is a fruit.
- Ok one last thing, you can collect seeds to grow new cucumber plants from an old dried fruit. Fruits are the primary reproductive part of any or I must say most of the plants, where it develops seeds for future generations.
Botanical Classification of Cucumber
As I have already said- Botanically, Cucumber or Cucumis sativus is a Fruit. We all know this and I have tried to explain the common reason for this consideration. Now I will discuss the detailed biological classification of Cucumber. Keep reading to know how a cucumber develops from a tiny flower.
First, and the most important thing to know- Not all cucumber flowers can develop into a Cucumber.
Actually, you can say the flowers are having different genders- like a girl and a guy. You can easily notice the difference in the flowers, Especially in their structure.
The male flower or the flower containing the male gametes look obvious. These are bright yellow tiny flowers.
But the main difference can be observed in the female flowers. Here, you can notice a small swollen tube-like structure grown just below the lower end of the flower. It is very different from the male flowers. This type of structuring is very common in other creepers also. Similar growth can be easily noticed in any of the gourd or squash plants.
Ok, coming back to the point- After successful fertilization of gametes, Both the flowers will dry eventually after some time. Only the tubular base of the female flower will swell to form the fruit. Actually, the fruit is required by the plant only to protect and nourish its seeds. And, we need it for food- isn’t it interesting.
Cucumber grows really fast, so if you want to observe all these phenomena then you will need only 4 to 6-day regular visits to your nearest cucumber farm.
Culinary Facts about Cucumber
Now here comes the talk for the plate. Ok, now I think you all know how much I like Cucumber. And I believe many of you share the same thoughts.
Talking about Cucumber as food. It’s full of water and best to handle dehydration. In fact, Cucumber is used for relieving symptoms of heat strokes and also it can cure sunburn.
On its own, cucumber doesn’t have any strong flavor. That’s why it is very easy to use cucumber in any sweet, salty or even savory food.
You can eat it as fresh green slices and for a change, you can blanch the slices with little salt and pepper. You can also make delicious “Riata” an Indian style sauce or something like that with some sugar, salt, pepper and curd mixed with finely chopped cucumber. It is tasty and Spicy but this doesn’t mean that it’s hard to digest. In fact, cucumber and curd both are very good for digestion.
Cucumber is full of moisture and fiber. So for a summer morning, cucumber is great food. Other than this, you will get a little bit of magnesium, manganese, vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and Potassium altogether but in a very low amount.
The reasons for being a vegetable
We all know, biologically Cucumber is a fruit. Though it is always treated as a vegetable. Being a vegetable, a cucumber can be cooked and consumed. In fact, we use cucumber in a variety of dishes.
I know, saying this is not enough to verify the fact that cucumber is a vegetable, so let us discuss another question to solve the contradiction.
Why is a cucumber considered a vegetable over a fruit?
- The first and very important classification of a vegetable is that we can cook and eat it. This is a very true fact considering a Cucumber.
- One thing that separates the cucumber from being considered as fruit is its obvious taste. Generally, we think, fruits must taste sweet or at least sweeter than other vegetables.
- Next is the uses of cucumber. We can easily cook cucumber to prepare various types of foods, no matter whether it is sweet or salty, cucumber always fits with the taste.
- Last but very unique consideration is the greenish color. Sometimes what looks green is not relates to sweet fruit. Believe me, it is just an assumption, being a fruit or a vegetable is nothing to do with its color.
Does cucumber count as a green vegetable?
Yes, sometimes though, we can consider cucumber as a green vegetable. This consideration is only for its green color, other than that, there is no nutritional similarity with other green vegetables.
Actually, Those vegetables containing enough nutrition as per their fresh green color can only be considered as a green vegetable. The best example of green vegetables is Okra and another leafy one like Spinach and so on.
Why are cucumbers referred to as fruit vegetables? – Cucumber is often referred to as a fruit vegetable. The main reason for this consideration is the use of cucumber in the culinary world. Actually, it is pretty obvious, we all know that cucumber can be eaten raw and fresh. In fact, we can eat a cucumber directly after picking from the plant. You only need to wash off any remains of dirt or pesticides over it. This makes it more relevant to fruits.
On the other hand, we have learned that there are plenty of dishes that can be cook with fresh green cucumber. It is fit for any taste and for any age foodie. This is why it is considered as a Vegetable.
No matter how you eat it, hot or cold, raw or cooked – it is always the best choice for low-calorie high fiber, hydrating diet for every morning.
Do cucumbers qualify as fruits or vegetables? – Cucumber qualifies for both fruit and Vegetable. Biologically it is good to be considered as a fruit as it contains seeds and develops from a flower and Culinarily it is part of a rich vegetable menu list.
You should also read: – Is Grass a Vegetable? Surprising Garden facts
Final Words
I hope you all have enjoyed this not so professional comparison post for cucumber being and fruit or a vegetable. It is just a try to put out everything that relates to this topic. If you find something wrong or maybe I have missed out on something then please let me know below in the comment section. Also, feel free to write what you think about the question-Is Cucumber a Fruit or a Vegetable?
