# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/61 "2020-11-18T00:02:31Z")
IMHO it depends on how they are served. They do well in sour type preparations, with lemon juice, tangy salt, or citrus. They don’t mix well in salads with greens, tomato, avocado, and “vegetably” preparations. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/62 "2020-11-18T00:05:41Z")
At the risk of being alarmist, I’d talk to your doctor. Changes in taste can be indicative of medical conditions. As for cucumbers: I’m a moderate fan. In their dotage (90+) my grandparents would saute them in butter and eat them with a bit of salt. Which still blows my mind, though it might be a way to basically taste salt+butter with not much else… ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/63 "2020-11-18T00:19:28Z")
I like peeled cucumbers in salads. I wouldn’t peel one for a snack. They’re mostly seeds with an outer, fleshy layer. I always eat the pickle spear that comes with deli sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/64 "2020-11-18T04:10:30Z")
Try the Japanese cucumbers in the OP’s pic. They’re much more fleshy, thinner skinned less bitter… Also, let me introduce you to the wonders of cucumber tsukemono and cucumber kim chee, both of which IMO are worlds apart and above pickles when properly prepared. My Mom would make cucumber tsukemono (pickled vegetables) with just salt and [tsukemono press,](https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Pickle-Tsukemono-Container-3-4Liter/dp/B003OC3FDA/ref=asc_df_B003OC3FDA/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198075681105&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6834571080154987254&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031954&hvtargid=pla-385897250540&psc=1) which looks like a salad spinner except there a screw and plate the screws down on the vegetables. There’s a delicate timing between the cucumbers being delightfully crunchy and lightly sally and limit and a salt bomb. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/65 "2020-11-18T22:34:06Z")
Yes, the burping response has something to do with the seeds. My grandmother could eat these but not regular cukes, which made her burp like crazy. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/66 "2020-11-18T23:11:55Z")
Cucumbers that have not been pickled nauseate me. Odor or flavor, it does not matter. They are simply not edible not acceptable in a room or a salad. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/67 "2020-11-21T18:01:52Z")
I’m surprised nobody seems to have mentioned this, but given that one of the documented symptoms of Covid is a loss of sense of smell, is it possible that it could also cause a modification of sense of taste? And since some people apparently have lingering effects from a Covid infection, could that be the cause? Maybe you had a mild infection and never noticed it? Probably be a good idea to get tested, though if it was 6 months ago you’re probably fine. By the way, for what it’s worth I am fairly neutral about the taste of cucumbers & this hasn’t changed for years, I’ll eat them if they turn up in something like a Greek salad. Unlike Celery, which I actively dislike! ---
**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 21, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/68 "2020-11-21T19:57:40Z")
I did wonder about that; this is so very specific, but the timing is indeed very suspicious. ---
**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:** [April 3, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/69 "2021-04-03T16:02:10Z")
Thought I’d come back with an update on this, because I can now taste cucumbers properly again. I had some kind of sinus problem (infection or sinusitis, still being investigated) , which eventually manifest as nasty smells in my nose, a lot of the time. I have received some treatment for the sinus issue, the bad smells are gone, cucumbers are palatable once more. Best guess: some product of the sinus issue (before the nasty smells became perceptible on their own) was interacting with something in cucumbers, and this was triggering a different set of smell receptors, creating a different sensation of taste. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744/70 "2021-04-04T23:26:16Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I don’t know if this is exactly related, but a few years – maybe four – ago I had to give up eating raw cucumbers. Not because of the taste, but within a half hour of eating even just a couple of slices in a salad I would start burping madly. Over and over, for maybe an hour or two. Up until that point in my life I’d always liked them fine. It’s horrifying (well, not quite horrifying) to hear that someone can acquire that reaction to cucumbers after a long period of enjoying them without consequences. Here’s a burpless cucumber from, as you might expect, Burpee: > **[Cucumber, Burpless Beauty](https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/cucumbers/cucumber-burpless-beauty-prod000685.html)** > > Stays crisp longer than any cucumber we've tried. I’ve always found cucumbers too bland to remotely suggest any kind of strong flavor, good or bad. I like them fine in salads if fresh and crisp - once they start to age into a more limp and watery form, bleah. > [@Mangetout](#): > > I can now taste cucumbers properly again. Best news I’ve heard today. 🙂 I wonder if there’s a sort of culinary hell populated by unfortunates who must eat burpless cucumbers and low acid tomatoes, while cringing at the thought of a stray bit of cilantro in their Mexican food. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-dislike-the-flavour-of-fresh-cucumbers-why/925744.md?page=3)