Cucumber is a vegetable that we often see in our daily life.

Most vegetables have to be cooked before consumption, but cucumber can be eaten raw as a fruit.
The water content of cucumber is as high as 95%, and although its content of various nutrients is not outstanding, it is favored by dieters because of its low calorie content.

But why is it called cucumber when it is clearly green?

Cucumber was not originally produced in the Central Plains. About the origin of the cucumber there are two: one said is the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, Zhao, Yan, Qin and other countries bordering the Hu land, in the fight against the Hu Rong, expanding the territory, from the Hu land to introduce the seed. Secondly, it is said that Zhang Qian brought back to the Central Plains during his mission to the Western Regions in the time of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty, and it was called hu melon in the beginning.

The renaming of Hu melon to cucumber is said to have begun in Later Zhao.
After the Zhao dynasty, the founder of Shi Le, made a decree: no matter speak and write, are strictly prohibited from appearing “Hu” word, violators beheaded.
So Hu melon was renamed as cucumber.

As for why it should be called cucumber, and its color is not yellow, but green, why not call it green melon?
The real mature cucumber has a yellow skin, the seeds are also yellow, the outer layer of skin is soft and thick, and there is not much moisture in the pulp inside, which is not tasty at all.

People in the cultivation process found that not fully ripe cucumbers eat raw crisp delicious, so in the immature time to pick and eat.

That’s why the cucumbers we see are green, not yellow.
Over time, people have assumed that green cucumbers are ripe cucumbers.
This may be the theory behind the hysterical saying “old cucumber with green paint – pretending to be young”.