# Do you dislike the flavour of fresh cucumbers? Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 16, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744 "2020-11-16T21:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/21 "2020-11-17T05:22:29Z")
Cucumbers are on my yum list, and no, they taste as good as they ever have for me. No change. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/22 "2020-11-17T07:07:01Z")
I really like cucumbers, especially the Japanese ones pictured. The skin is thinner and less bitter, so it doesn’t need peeling. Also, it doesn’t give me the nasty burps that regular cucumbers do. Did anyone else cut the ends off the regular cucumbers and rub them on the cut ends to supposedly remove the bitterness and whatever causes the burps? Almost everyone in my extended family did it and if the cucumber was bitter, we’d blame it on not cutting and rubbing the ends. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/23 "2020-11-17T08:02:15Z")
Nothing wrong with cucumbers. They’re great on their own, sliced, maybe with a little Miracle Whip. Or put the slices in a bowl of white vinegar for an hour or so before a backyard picnic. They work on grilled burgers, or as a side on their own. Ever had a cucumber sandwich? My mother used to make them, and they were a treat. Two thick slices of white bread (or a kaiser roll cut in half), butter, sliced cucumbers, mayo, salt, and white pepper. Simple and tasty! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/24 "2020-11-17T09:41:25Z")
As an avid reader of PG Wodehouse, I note that the cucumber sandwich is (or was) a traditional English staple, a typical thing to serve at teatime. Never had a traditional English cucumber sandwich, but as mentioned above, cucumber by itself can be the basis of a tasty and very refreshing salad. I note also from PG Wodehouse that cucumber sandwiches are very effective in a fine English home for throwing with a good deal of force at a cat that you find staring with a strange fascination at a canary that has been entrusted to your care by a beloved fiancé. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/25 "2020-11-17T09:55:58Z")
Cucumber sandwiches are what you serve to the vicar when he comes for afternoon tea - very thin slices of peeled cucumber in between buttered slices of thin white soft bread, sandwiches cut into neat small triangles with crusts removed. I get the impression that these were weirdly considered simultaneously very genteel and refined, at the same time as (something like) cheap - that is, not wasting a more expensive sandwich filling on a guest whose visit was not a choice. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/26 "2020-11-17T11:45:36Z")
I like cukes, even 🥒 Gatorade is good. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/27 "2020-11-17T13:00:57Z")
I’m not a big fan of cucumbers. At best they’re kind of tasteless and at worst they’re a little bitter. I’m not a big fan of melons (including watermelons) either, for what it’s worth. My wife loves cucumbers and melons, though. One of her signature dishes is stir-fried cucumber slices. And she could probably eat half a watermelon a day, in season. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/28 "2020-11-17T13:09:31Z")
I don’t like the taste of cucumbers, and I could not possibly tell you why. The latin maxim _de gustibus non disputandem est_ applies quite literally to flavor as well as aesthetics – you either like something or you don’t. And comparing flavors is a pretty iffy exercise. I know that wine tasters try to do this, but i find their comparisons often very far off the mark. Taste and smell are usually very difficult to compare and contrast. I can’t think of anything that cucumber smell or taste resembles as a tool I can use to dissect my dislike of it. All I know if that I really don’t like it. I avoid cucumber-infused water, cucumber-scented anything, and i still root through my salads at the restaurants to extract the sliced cucumbers. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/29 "2020-11-17T13:14:22Z")
I LOVE a chilled, crisp cucumber that literally snaps when you bite into it. If it is warm, however, things change like a Gremlin at midnight. It becomes flaccid and foul, as disappointing as a much anticipated lover lacking in virility. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/30 "2020-11-17T13:19:32Z")
I like cucumbers in all forms, pickled, peeled or raw. We have a mixed marriage, though. Mrs. Cardigan is one of _those people_ and can only eat her cucumbers peeled, and only in moderation at that. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/31 "2020-11-17T13:28:33Z")
I never purchase them for myself and have little to no use for them personally. With that being said, I’ve no strong opinion about most cucumbers. If they’re already in a salad or something then fine but I certainly don’t seek them out. Most seem blandly veg but every now and then I bite into one a strongly bitter, unpleasant flavor presents. Different varieties and or growing conditions I guess. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/32 "2020-11-17T13:45:37Z")
There’s an old, old joke about cucumbers. Q. What is the best way to prepare cucumbers? A. Take three large cucumbers, peel them carefully, and cut them into thin slices. Add a little salt and black pepper, and a light dressing of good-quality olive oil. Then throw them away, as being totally useless. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/33 "2020-11-17T13:48:29Z")
I love cucumbers. I grew “Sweet Success” this year and actively mourned a bit when the season was over. Cucumber sandwiches, tzatziki, salads, by themselves with a little bit of salt and pepper, shared with the dog (minus the salt and pepper…I ate them every day all summer long. What’s interesting, is that I loathe melons, and don’t really get the cucumber/melon flavor association, myself. (Other than botanically, I mean) ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/34 "2020-11-17T14:01:32Z")
Generally, I like the taste unless there is too much bitter peel. However, like many of you have said, cucumbers make me burp and taste cucumbers for hours and hours. Watermelon does this too, and on a lesser scale, canteloupe. I don’t like honeydew, so I’m not sure about the burpiness of it. So I avoid them all. I miss tomato, onion, and cucumber salad with a lively vinaigrette - but sometimes I make it for my husband and eat it anyway. It’s delicious! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/35 "2020-11-17T15:04:08Z")
> [@Rebo](#): > > … > and taste cucumbers for hours and hours. > … This may be part of it for me. Not so much that I taste it for hours, but that to my perception, if you put cucumber is something, it becomes cucumber-flavored whatever. e.g. potato salad tastes like potatoes & mayo but potato salad with a smidgen of cucumber tastes like CUCUMBERS!!!, potatoes & mayo. Ditto cucumbers in a sandwich, a lettuce salad, etc. Which is funny because cukes are _not_ highly flavored. But what small flavor they have pollutes the heck out of whatever it touches. I’m much the same with red onions, although unlike cukes those are strongly flavored. I like spicy and enjoy white and yellow onions. But red onions in anything mean I’m eating red onion-flavored whatever-else-it-is-texture: red onion-flavored omelet texture, red onion-flavored pizza texture, red onion-flavored cheeseburger texture, etc. Just a pinch is way too much. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/36 "2020-11-17T15:40:21Z")
I dislike the flavour of fresh cucumbers. Why? Because they taste like cucumbers. Cucumbers are 97% water and 3% foul taste. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/37 "2020-11-17T15:46:54Z")
Please can you describe the foul taste? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/38 "2020-11-17T15:51:29Z")
It’s very cucumber like. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/39 "2020-11-17T16:00:55Z")
> [@Do you dislike the flavour of fresh cucumbers? Why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/18): > > That’s pretty much me. I’m pretty far from a fussy eater. If it’ll hold still long enough to catch it’ll probably go down my hatch and I’ll probably like it. Same for plants, but they’re even easier to catch wink . But cukes are a bland sort of annoying with the flavors @bump describes. I pick almost all of them out of a restaurant salad and cut what remains into very small pieces so not too much cuke-ness gets into any forkful. Conversely I enjoy tzatziki and actually enjoy the sorta tan… This pretty much sums up my feeling toward cucumbers. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/40 "2020-11-17T16:02:28Z")
> [@naita](#): > > It’s very cucumber like. You’re the first person to respond who might actually have something relevant to my original question. Please can you try to describe it by comparison to something else that isn’t a cucumber? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744.md?page=3)