Ingredient Intelligence

The Coolest Cucumber You Can Eat Right Now

published Jul 18, 2018
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Ryan Dausch)

I’ll be honest with you: I’ve been a cucumber skeptic for years. It’s not that I ever disliked the vegetable — it’s just that it never really did that much for me. The crunch is fine, but the flavor is, well, nonexistent. Especially in the summer, when there is so much abundance around, I always felt my time was more well-spent on things like tomatoes and corn.

Clearly I wasn’t in the know, because there’s a cucumber out there that’s pretty much as cool as those summer sweethearts: the Persian cucumber. It’s crisp and refreshing, yes, but it’s actually got some flavor and spunk to it, which automatically makes it hip and, excuse the pun, the coolest cucumber you can enjoy this summer.

Why Persian Cucumbers Are the Best Cucumbers You Can Eat This Summer

Persian cukes are a variety that have been around for some time, but recently they’ve been popping up in more recipes and Instagram feeds. Why the sudden burst of love? It’s because these cucumbers are everything the other cucumbers are lacking: They’re dense and never watery or slimy. They have a mildly sweet flavor that’s surprising if all you’ve ever known are cukes with no flavor whatsoever. Oh, and they’re the crispiest, crunchiest variety around.

What’s better? They’re pretty much seedless and their skins are so thin, you never need to bother peeling them. They’re also cute, which I firmly feel is another selling point. A Persian cucumber is never more than five to six inches in length and only about one inch or so in diameter. If you’re buying them at the grocery store, they’re usually come in a group of five or six, all nestled together on a tray or in a plastic container.

These cucumbers are best snacked on, sliced for salads, or muddled into cocktails. If a recipe calls for English cucumbers, you can easily swap Persian cukes in instead. Regardless of how you enjoy them this summer, they’re sure to convince you cucumbers can really be cool.

Are you a fan of Persian cucumbers?