The cucumber is grown as part of the gourd family. It is actually a fruit, not a vegetable, but is often confused as a vegetable as is the tomato. The cucumber is a creeping vine that roots in the ground and grows up trellises or other supporting frames, wrapping around supports with thin, spiraling tendrils.
The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The fruit of the cucumber is roughly cylindrical, elongated with tapered ends, and may be as large as 24 inches long and 3.9 inches in diameter. Cucumbers are usually more than 90 percent water. Cucumbers can be prepared in three main ways: Slicing, pickling, and burpless.
Cucumbers are originally from India, though, they are grown now on most continents. It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Greeks or Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century. There are many different varieties that are traded on the global market.