Sikkim Cucumber

The historic cucumber of Sikkim. Fat, large fruit can reach several pounds in size. The ripe fruit is a unique rusty red color and is good eaten cooked or raw. In Asia, cucumbers are often stir-fried and are quite tasty. This variety is grown in the Himalayas of Sikkim and Nepal. Sir Joseph Hooker first discovered it in the eastern Himalayas in 1848. Here is part of what he wrote about it: "So abundant were the fruits, that for days together I saw gnawed fruits lying by the natives' paths by the thousands, and every man, woman and child seemed engaged throughout the day in devouring them."