The Cool Cucumber
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The cucumber is one of the oldest vegetables in the world. It's been grown and eaten since 7750 B.C traveling from India and Burma to Europe and other countries. It seems during the Roman era, the Emperor Tiberius grew cucumbers in carts and had his slaves to wheel them around to catch the sun. He ate them soaked in wine and soon cucumbers were grown all over Europe. The cucumber contains no fat, fibre, sodium or cholesterol. You can eat ten cucumbers without gaining weight. Even without all these nutrients, why are people so crazy about it?
The beauty of cucumber
The cucumber maintains its inside temperature at several degrees cooler than the surrounding atmosphere. Cucumbers are usually eaten but cooked cucumbers taste good too. Cucumbers are usually sold waxed on the skin and thus the skin is always smooth. But if you need to peel the cucumber, peel it just before eating as removing the skin too soon will get rid of the Vitamin C that is under the skin.
A cucumber that has become soft can be made into a crunchy snack. Simply slice the cucumber, sprinkle some salt over the slices and leave aside for 20 minutes for the excess water to drain out. Rinse and squeeze out the excess juice and you get crispy cucumber slices.
People who are allergic to pollen or aspirin should not eat cucumber as this would cause itching of the mouth. Putting a slice of cucumber over each eye after a long day does wonders to soothe tired, inflamed eyes. This also works well for bloodshot eyes if some grated cucumbers are placed in a muslin cloth and then let to sit over the eye. When your lips are dry or are peeling, take an unpeeled cucumber, wipe it clean and pucker up your lips as if applying lipstick, then just run the skin surface slowly across them in a back and forth motion and this will definitely moisturize your lips.
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