Item Tag: Cucumber

An ancient fruit native to the Mediterranean which has many names such as Bitter Apple, desert Gourd, Citrullus Colocynthis, egusi, Vine of Sodom, Wild Gourd, Indrayan, Gudumba, Handal, Rakhale Shasa, Tamate Kayi, Pikkumutti, Chedu Puchha, Cinna Papara, Kutura Budama, Kaudatumma, paparabuda. A hairy stemmed perennial vine, commonly resembling a watermelon vine, grows in sandy, coastal, desert soil with bitter tasting poisonous fruit which yield a strong purgative used in folk medicine. Similarly bitter, seeds are edible eaten whole or used as an oil seed. High oil content. Seeds contain: linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, palmitic acid, arginine, and tryptophan. Though there are other references in ancient text one is thought to be:2 Kings 4:39-40″One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.” Heirloom