Story by Edwin Quiroz, Summer 2022
Cucumber is a taste and scent that sends me back to some of my most cherished memories. Throughout a long portion of my childhood, my family would visit my parent’s hometown in Mexico every December to celebrate La Guadalupana. One of my core memories is leaving the beautiful Church to stroll around the Plaza with my family. Here we would get fresh fruit and “pepino pelado y picado con chile y limón” or chopped cucumber with lime and chile. The cucumber was always my favorite! I vividly remember the aroma of the cucumber and lime filling the air as the man at the little cart swiftly peeled and chopped. I eagerly accepted the plastic cup filled with green juiciness and watched the musicians nearby play their loud wind instruments. Some kids ran around with balloons, throwing confetti at one another, while others sat and enjoyed ice cream and cotton candy.
Although we don’t visit Mexico that often anymore, my family has continued to enjoy cucumbers here at home. Every summer we grow our own cucumber plants in our garden and prepare it the same way we’ve always enjoyed it. Having cucumbers at family cookouts and parties is always a must!
Apart from its delicious taste, I learned that cucumber is also very hydrating, good for skin and hair, helps the kidneys wash out bodily toxins, and it freshens your breath. Cucumber juice contains nutrients like silicon, sulfur, vitamin A, vitamin C, and silica which helps repair and limit thinning hair when applied directly. Eating cucumber is helpful to the kidneys because it lowers uric acid levels, helps dissolve kidney stones, and remove other toxins from your body. Cucumbers contain a lot of water and phytochemicals which is why they are so hydrating and help kill bacteria causing bad breath. After learning about these facts I look forward to snacking on more cucumber and trying it out on my luscious locks.