What’s the Difference between Cucumber and Zucchini?

Cucumbers and zucchinis have a lot in common at first glance, which probably made you ask this question.
But in fact, these two foods are really different. You probably already know that the taste is different, but that’s not the only thing.

Cucumbers are a crunchy fruit that get mostly served cold to maintain that beautiful texture. Whilst zucchini is typically baked, grilled and sautéed and rarely served raw.

In this article, you’ll discover all the secrets of these two healthy foods.

Cucumber

Definition

A creeping plant, Cucumis sativus, of the gourd family, occurring in many cultivated forms. The edible, fleshy fruit of this plant, of a cylindrical shape with rounded ends and having a green, warty skin.

Dictionary

Taste and texture

Cucumbers come in many shapes and sizes, and funny enough, the taste changes as well. The flavors range from super bitter to extremely sour.

It all depends on four things:

  • Where they have been grown
  • The temperature of the weather
  • How much the plant gets watered
  • If the plant is stressed during its growing season.

When it comes to the flavor of cucumbers, it is hard to pinpoint the exact taste that I experience. But continental cucumbers are best described as faintly sweet, fresh, and slightly salty.

The texture, however, of the same cucumber is very crunchy, and bursts of popping seeds add the weird gelatinous texture.

Cucumber health benefits

These green, crunchy fruits shaped like a stick are of many top-recommended fruits for improving your health.

Firstly, cucumbers get made from 95% of water to fruit ratio and is a perfect way to stay hydrated. Pop a few slices in your glass of water, and it’ll forever change your thirst-quenching needs.

Secondly, cucumbers are great for weight loss. This fruit contains no fat content and a small number of calories. Ten calories per whole cucumber exactly.

Cucumber is also a great way of getting much need vitamins and minerals. These include vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, and many more.

Not only is cucumber used for hydration and weight loss. But cucumber is also used to help lower blood sugar levels, promote a healthy heart.

Cucumbers help with constipation and reduce the appearance of cellulite. For me, cucumber helps cure my hangovers. It can get used as an inflammatory tool.

Uses

Cucumber can get used in many ways both for food and beauty purposes.

For example, I love to use cucumbers as a side dish especially eating spicy dishes. You could add cucumber slices to your refreshments, turn them into a soup, or even make a homemade cucumber mask for sunburn.

You can also make pickled cucumbers or even place them over your eyes to remove inflammation and redness.

Price

Currently, Lebanese cucumbers are the cheapest sort out there, only costing $0.88 each. Whilst continental cucumbers get valued at $2.50 each. Cucumbers roughly priced at $0.50-$4 all year round.

Zucchini

Definition

Zucchini is a long, green squash, a vegetable that’s especially common in backyard gardens during the summer months. In England, it’s more common to call zucchinis “courgettes.”

Vocabulary

Taste and texture

Zucchini was first originated in Central America and found in Mexico. Because this vegetable is high in water content, the inside is very soft. Whilst still have some bounce to it.

When the zucchini gets cooked, it can soften slightly and get a mushy kind of texture. Some people find this texture unbearable. But some people, like me, love it.

Eating zucchini on its own isn’t the most common thing to do. But, this is how our ancestors used to do it.

After biting down on a cube of zucchini, I have to say that it was not how I expected it to taste 🙂
The cube of zucchini was slightly rubbery and gritty when it was raw. I also felt that the flavor was pleasantly bitter-sweet. I recommend the yellow zucchini over the green when it comes to sweetness.

Heath Benefits

Zucchinis are great for weight loss as they only have 17 calories and less than a gram of fat. This vegetable gets made of 95% water.

Zucchini also has many vitamins and minerals to help balance your diet. These vitamins and minerals include manganese, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B6, potassium, and so much more.

Because the zucchini gets made out of mostly water, it helps with your digestive system and promotes healthy digestion. This vegetable also helps improve your vision because zucchini does contain a healthy dose of vitamin C, just like carrots.

It also helps decrease the chances of getting macular degeneration.

Uses

Zucchini mainly gets a feature in the food industry as a healthy snack food. But I would say that the zucchini has more to do in life than being a healthy substitute.

It could get used in zucchini and bacon fritters; you could make pasta out of them; by using a vegetable peeler. You could make zucchini chips or, my absolute favorite: Ratatouille. Just like the way it gets made in the Disney movie “Ratatouille”.

Zucchini is a great vegetable that can get used in so many ways. You can bake them, grill them, sauté them, etc. They also get used to substitute potatoes, pasta, pumpkins, and many more hearty ingredients.

Price

Pricing for zucchini is cheap during the warmer seasons of the year. Zucchini right now are priced roughly at $1-$2 per zucchini. But they can range from $1-$4 all year round.

Differences between cucumber and zucchini

Taste and texture

Cucumbers and Zucchinis may have a very similar look but the taste, however, is different. Whilst cucumbers has many variations of flavours like bitter, sour, and sweet. Zucchinis all have a bitter-sweet flavour. Some zucchinis are stronger than others. You could even say that zucchinis are “heartier” than cucumbers.

The textures of the two, cucumber and zucchini, are also another difference. Most cucumbers are crunchy, slightly soft and to some people, crispy. Zucchini have a very rubbery and squishy texture when they are raw and soften when cooked.

Health Benefits

The nutritional difference between cucumber and zucchini are very similar.

Both also contain roughly the same number of vitamins and minerals. They also have the same water content of 95%. But, they do differ when it comes to calories. Cucumber has eight to ten calories per whole fruit, whilst zucchini is roughly 17 calories.

Cucumber also has zero fat, whilst zucchini has less than a gram. But,  both shared most of the same vitamins and minerals.

Uses

The difference between the uses of the cucumber and zucchini are very far apart. And often don’t cross paths.

Cucumbers get mostly served cold to maintain that beautiful crunch. Whilst zucchini is typically baked, grilled and sautéed and rarely served raw.

Pricing

The price difference between cucumber and zucchini isn’t that different and often sold around the same price.

It all depends on where your local supermarket gets their fruit or vegetables and if they are in season. But both zucchini and cucumber don’t go over $5 each.

Comparison table

CucumberZucchini
TasteBitter, Sour, Sweet, FreshBitter-sweet
TextureCrunchy, Crispy, SoftRubbery, Soft, Mushy
BenefitsGreat anti-inflammatory
Healthy
Heart function
Hangover cure
Natural hydrator
Weight loss
Vitamin C, Vitamin A
Magnesium, Potassium
Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C
Potassium, Manganese
Healthy digestion
Improve vision
Reduce macular degeneration
Uses10 calories
Beverages
Salads
Natural eye pads
Reduce celluliteSide dish
Soup
Natural sunburn remedy
Pickles
17 calories
Healthy snack
Great substitute
Many food cuisine recipes such as: Ratatouille, fritters. Pasta, chips.
Baking, sauteing, grilling
Price$0.50 – $4$1 –$4

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