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Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Botanically they’re classified as fruit and are related to melons, pumpkins, gourds and squash.
Cucumbers were first grown over three thousand years ago in India. Their cultivation spread throughout the Mediterranean; the Roman Emperor Tiberius reputedly grew cucumbers in carts that his slaves wheeled around to catch the sun. Ancient Egyptians made cucumber liquor from cucumbers that were buried in soil until their insides liquefied.
China grows 75 % of the world’s cucumbers, about 55 million tonnes annually.
Cucumber classification
Cucumbers are categorised in the following ways:
• either slicing
