Re: cucumber flavor

**N* S* <s*@earthlink.net>**

Ah Karen - Twas I that gave that recipe. Here's my point. Leave out

the cukes and

it won't taste the same. Probably the cuke juice along with subtle

flavor contains an umami like receptor that enhances the flavor of

other things. I love cold cumber

soup made with yogurt, chicken broth, onions,dill and cukes.. Leave

out the cuke and you've got yuck.

Nancy Szerlag

Jul 22, 2010, at 2:36 PM, Kdcutler@aol.com wrote:

Goodness, I didn't know cucumber lovers--and I count myself one--

were so

touchy. I eat them raw, pickle them, make soup, and more. But I

still say

they don't taste "crunchy" or "fresh" or "clean." And the request

was for a

description of flavor, not a description of the experience of biting

into a

cuke.

I stand by "pretty much flavorless," which is why almost all cucumber

recipes, for both raw and processed dishes, either pair the fruits

with more

flavorful foods or use lots of herbs, spices, vinegars, etc. Even

"cucumber

water" recipes add lemon, lime, mint, or some other flavor. Jeff

Ball, who

implies I may not appreciate cukes, recommends I "cut 'em up,

sprinkle on a

bit of salt, some wine vinegar, thrown in some chopped onion and

fresh

tomatoes..."  Exactly my point.

As for cucumber lore, take a look at the cucumber entry in my

Burpee-The

Complete Vegetable and Herb Gardener. It has a wonderful history.

Karan

Davis Cutler
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Nancy Szerlag
Columnist for Detroit News
szerlag@earthlink.net
Check blog at http://nancysgarden.wordpress.com

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