Post by Sharon on Sept 16, 2010 11:52:35 GMT -5
Cucumbers are native to India! Did you know that ... I sure didn't.
Cucumbers, a member of the gourd family, have been cultivated by man for at least 3,000 years. They originated in the foothills of the Himalayas, probably in or near present day India. They eventually found their way to Egypt and were subsequently cherished by the ancient Romans and Greeks. Incidentally, the first documented use of the phrase "cool as a cucumber" was in the poem "A New Song" by English poet and playwright John Gay in 1732.
A New Song of New Similes
by John Gay (1685-1732)
My passion is as mustard strong;
I sit all sober sad;
Drunk as a piper all day long,
Or like a March-hare mad.
Round as a hoop the bumpers flow;
I drink, yet can’t forget her;
For though as drunk as David’s sow
I love her still the better.
Pert as a pear-monger I’d be,
If Molly were but kind;
Cool as a cucumber could see
The rest of womankind.
FOLKLORE A story from Japanese mythology describes how cucumbers are the favourite food of the mischie-vous troublemaking water sprites — the Kappa. The Kappa’s pranks range from the simple, such as loudly passing gas, to the more serious crimes of stealing crops and kidnapping children. Cucumbers are the only food Kappa are known to enjoy more than human children. So, Japanese parents would write the names of their children on cucumbers and toss them into Kappa-infested waters in order to pacify the creatures, thus allowing the family to bathe in peace.
CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE
• 1 pint plain yogurt
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• Juice of half a lemon, (more or less to taste)
• Small to medium batch of mint leaves, chopped
(Or try cilantro or a cilantro/mint combination)
• Half teaspoon cumin
• Half teaspoon coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
For a thicker sauce, place the yogurt in a colander on top of another pan and allow it to drain in the fridge for an hour or two. Similarly, after chopping the cucumber, press the excess water out in a fine mesh sieve. Mix all of the ingredients and serve as suggested above. Other optional flavor enhancers include finely chopped onion or garlic.
Cucumbers, a member of the gourd family, have been cultivated by man for at least 3,000 years. They originated in the foothills of the Himalayas, probably in or near present day India. They eventually found their way to Egypt and were subsequently cherished by the ancient Romans and Greeks. Incidentally, the first documented use of the phrase "cool as a cucumber" was in the poem "A New Song" by English poet and playwright John Gay in 1732.
A New Song of New Similes
by John Gay (1685-1732)
My passion is as mustard strong;
I sit all sober sad;
Drunk as a piper all day long,
Or like a March-hare mad.
Round as a hoop the bumpers flow;
I drink, yet can’t forget her;
For though as drunk as David’s sow
I love her still the better.
Pert as a pear-monger I’d be,
If Molly were but kind;
Cool as a cucumber could see
The rest of womankind.
FOLKLORE A story from Japanese mythology describes how cucumbers are the favourite food of the mischie-vous troublemaking water sprites — the Kappa. The Kappa’s pranks range from the simple, such as loudly passing gas, to the more serious crimes of stealing crops and kidnapping children. Cucumbers are the only food Kappa are known to enjoy more than human children. So, Japanese parents would write the names of their children on cucumbers and toss them into Kappa-infested waters in order to pacify the creatures, thus allowing the family to bathe in peace.
CUCUMBER-YOGURT SAUCE
• 1 pint plain yogurt
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• Juice of half a lemon, (more or less to taste)
• Small to medium batch of mint leaves, chopped
(Or try cilantro or a cilantro/mint combination)
• Half teaspoon cumin
• Half teaspoon coriander
• Salt and pepper to taste
For a thicker sauce, place the yogurt in a colander on top of another pan and allow it to drain in the fridge for an hour or two. Similarly, after chopping the cucumber, press the excess water out in a fine mesh sieve. Mix all of the ingredients and serve as suggested above. Other optional flavor enhancers include finely chopped onion or garlic.