It is cultivated mainly in the district of Paphos.
Name - Origin
Αγγούρι.
The elongated and cylindrical fruit of the cucumber, with white or greenish flesh, crisp and refreshing (Babiniotis 2005, entry αγγούρι, το 51)
ETYM < med. aggourin (ἀγγούριν) < aggourion (ἀγγούριον), diminuitive of ἄγγουρος (ággouros) < ἄγουρος (unripe), because the flesh of the fruit is eaten unripe, having a greenish colour. According to another view the word is traced back to the Arabic agur (Babiniotis 2005, entry αγγούρι,το, 51).
Scientific name: Cucumis sativus/Cucurbitaceae (Gennadios 1914, 761).
plural τα αγγούρκα (aggoúrka) dim. το αγγουρού(δ)ιν (aggouroú(d)in), plural τα αγγουρούδκια (aggouroúdkia) The plant is called angourká, plural angourkés (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry αγγούριν,το, 49)
Xenophon P. Pharmakidis notes that it is also called ‘drósinon’ euphemistically because it retains its freshness (Kypri 1983 [2003²], entry δρόσινον,το, 62).
It is consumed raw, on its own or in salads (Gennadios 1914, 761). It is also consumed when preserved in vinegar (Babiniotis 2005, entry αγγούρι, το, 51).
Additional information and bibliography
Chloraka in Paphos was a village famous for its cucumbers. In the 1960s, the locals of Chloraka were the pioneers in building glass greenhouses, managing to produce cucumbers in winter as well. The cucumbers of Chloraka became famous all over Cyprus. They were not like today's cucumbers. They were large in size and crooked. The people of Chloraka, though, tried to produce straight cucumbers by frequently hoeing the ground to prevent deformation of their shape. (The Chloraka Newspaper, 'Cucumbers of Chloraka').
Today, the principal variety of cucumbers grown in Cyprus produces small cucumbers, about 15 cm long and weighing 150 grams. (Malliotis-Cyprus, 'Αγγούρι (Cucumis sp. - Family Cucurbitaceae)’).
Gennadios P. G. (1914), Dictionary of phytology: Containing the names, nativity and life of more than a thousand plants, including those cultivated for their uses to the world, including their history, cultivation, products and diseases, From the printing house of Paraskevas Leoni, Athens.
Kypri Th. D. (ed.) (1983 [2003²]), Materials for the compilation of a historical dictionary of the Cypriot dialect, Part B, Glossary of Xenophontos P. Pharmakidou, Publications of the Centre for Scientific Research, IX, Nicosia.
Babiniotis G. (2005), Dictionary of Modern Greek Language. With comments on the correct use of words. Interpretative, Orthographic, Etymological, Synonyms-Ansonyms, Main Names, Scientific Terms, Acronyms, Centre for Lexicology, Athens, Greece.
The Journal of Chloraka, "Cucumbers of Chloraka", https:// chlorakasefimerida.blogspot.com.
Malliotis-Cyprus, "Cucumber (Cucumis sp. - Family Cucurbitaceae)", http://www.filagrogroup.com/cgibin/hweb?- A=104&-V=malproducts.
Kyriaki Panteli, Argyro Xenophontos
Foods
Vegetables and greens in the Byzantine era
Vegetables and wild greens have always been an important part of the Cypriot diet.