Today I am talking about this vegetable that is so topical in Spain and in Europe due to a crisis that is gradually clearing. It seems that spanish cucumbers They are not the source of the outbreak of the dangerous variant of a bacterium that has already caused fifteen deaths and thousands of people affected in Germany.
Today we have seen Spanish politicians tasting cucumber to demonstrate the quality and safety of our cucumbers. I had them in the bedroom for a couple of days, but common sense and the news about it made me put these delicious vegetables back on the family menu.
And that is what I wanted to talk about, how my daughters love cucumber and I delighted that you enjoy this healthy vegetable to try to add those five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day almost without realizing it.
Indeed, the cucumber is a summer seasonal fruit, we begin to see it in its splendor in June, although it is not strange that it occurs throughout the year in many areas.
Of course, it is now when, because of its freshness and immense contribution of water, you want to eat it more. Therefore it is associated with summer and salads and gazpachos so typical to calm the heat. Its mild flavor makes it ideal for the enjoyment of the little ones.
Cucumber cultivation is native to South Asia, it was cultivated in India more than 3,000 years ago. In Greece and Rome it was adopted as food and extended by the Romans throughout Europe and Columbus later to America. It is from the Cucurbitaceae family, such as zucchini, and needs a mild climate to grow in optimal conditions.
It is usually consumed raw, which allows to preserve all its properties, and for children better without skin so as not to hinder digestion. Even so, it should be washed before and after peeling.
Cucumber nutritional composition
Most of the cucumber is waterIn fact, it is the food with the highest proportion of water: more than 96% of this vegetable is water, so its caloric and carbohydrate content is low. These are its other components:
- It has vitamin A, which is very beneficial for eyesight, hair, skin, mucous membranes, bones and the proper functioning of the immune system.
- Its vitamin E and C content is supplemented with folates and different types of B vitamins such as B1, B2 and B3.
- Regarding minerals, although they do not have large quantities, potassium It stands out from the rest by regulating muscle activity and nerve impulse.
- Phosphorus and magnesium are other minerals that we can find helping the intestine in their care as well as having a small laxative effect.
- It also contains calcium, for bone development, cholesterol prevention, hypertension ...
Due to its impact today, cucumber is the fourth most produced food worldwide surpassed by onions, tomatoes and cabbage.
I recommend the "cucumber sticks" as a snack or accompanying lunch or snack, and the vegetables chopped in salads with other vegetables, pasta salads, tuna, crushed cucumber in soft gazpachos ... There are a thousand and one ways to make this seasonal vegetable, cucumber, be part of a healthy family menu.
