Cucumber Facts for Kids

A Picture of Some Cucumbers
  • Name: Cucumber
  • Type of Food: Vegetable
  • Produced From: Cucumis sativus
  • Total Calories: 45 (one 8.25″ cucumber, 301 grams)
  • Total Fat: None (one 8.25″ cucumber, 301 grams)
  • Total Protein: 2 grams (one 8.25″ cucumber, 301 grams)
  • Total Carbohydrates: 11 grams (one 8.25″ cucumber, 301 grams)

28 Cucumber Facts for Kids

  1. Cucumbers are a green vegetable consumed by humans.
  2. Humans have been cultivating and eating cucumbers for at least 3,000 years.
  3. Cucumbers originated in India (South Asia) but are now grown worldwide.
  4. Cucumbers are harvested from the vine plant Cucumis sativus and its varieties.
  5. There are over 120 different varieties of cucumbers cultivated.
  6. The varieties of cucumbers are separated into three groups, and they are slicing, pickling and burpless/seedless.
  7. The outer part of a cucumber is called the peel, this is the green skin surrounding a cucumber.
  8. The inner part of a cucumber is called the flesh, this is the soft, light green mass inside the peel.
  9. The center part of a cucumber contains seeds. Some cucumber varieties don’t have any seeds.
  10. Cucumbers are one of the most cultivated vegetables in the worldwide.
  11. According to FAOSTAT, the world produced over 82 million tons of cucumbers and gherkins in 2018.
  12. According to FAOSTAT, the world’s largest producer of cucumbers and gherkins in 2018 was China, they produced over 61 million tons.
  13. Based on FAOSTAT data, China produced over 74% of the world’s cucumber and gherkin supply in 2018.
  14. The composition of a raw cucumber with its peel is 95% water.
  15. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 45 calories.
  16. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains no fat.
  17. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains no cholesterol.
  18. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 6 milligrams of sodium.
  19. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 11 grams of carbohydrates.
  20. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 2 grams of dietary fiber.
  21. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 5 grams of sugar.
  22. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 2 grams of protein.
  23. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 48 milligrams of calcium.
  24. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 1 milligram of iron.
  25. One medium cucumber (301 grams) contains 442 milligrams of potassium.
  26. According to the Guinness World Records, the world record for the longest cucumber is 42.1 inches. This record was set on September 26th, 2011 by Ian Neale in the United Kingdom.
  27. According to the Guinness World Records, the world record for the heaviest cucumber is 23 pounds and 7 ounces. This record was set on September 26th, 2015 by David Thomas in the United Kingdom.
  28. According to the Guinness World Records, the world record for eating a cucumber (200 grams serving) is 28.48 seconds. This record was set on May 24th, 2014 by Vinny Diesel in Australia.

Additional Resources on Cucumbers

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