FoodSocial media sensation: Cucumbers taste like watermelon with sugar

Social media sensation: Cucumbers taste like watermelon with sugar

A cucumber that tastes like a watermelon?
A cucumber that tastes like a watermelon?
Images source: © Pixabay

30 June 2024 14:01

We don't usually eat cucumbers in this way. It's not a combination that would typically make your mouth water. But only seemingly so. It turns out that a cucumber can be turned into a watermelon. All it takes is one addition.

Experiments, life hacks, and tricks - social media loves these types of content, and followers expect more surprises, shocking experiments, or life-changing tricks. Even though most of what's presented is nonsense, this one with the cucumber and the well-known spice caused a big stir.

Sprinkle sugar on a cucumber. The result will surprise you

Have you ever tried combining cucumber with sugar? Just sprinkle the cucumber with some sweet spice and eat it? It certainly won’t change your life, but it will surprise, amaze, and make you want to seek explanations. The theory that sprinkling sugar on a cucumber makes it taste like watermelon has been circulating online for a long time.

This experiment has also taken social media by storm, with numerous creators trying to determine if combining cucumber and sugar results in a watermelon flavour. It turns out there’s a method to this madness. However, it’s not as mysterious or strange as it might seem because cucumber and watermelon have much in common.

Cucumber with sugar tastes like watermelon. Why?
Cucumber with sugar tastes like watermelon. Why?© Pixabay

Why does sweetened cucumber taste like watermelon?

The explanation is very simple – both vegetables are related. Watermelon and cucumber are members of the same plant family known as Cucurbitaceae. Both products are composed of over 90% water, which makes them taste similar. Watermelon, however, contains significantly more sugar than cucumber, which explains why a cucumber sprinkled with sugar resembles the taste of watermelon. Also, the green part of the watermelon can be reminiscent of cucumber due to the lack of the intense sweetness characteristic of the red interior of the watermelon.

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