The gherkin is a species of herbaceous plant. This plant belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae. It is grown mainly for its fruits. It is harvested before it reaches maturity. It is generally used as a condiment.
Its scientific name is the same as for cucumber, namely cucumis sativus. They originally belong to the same species. With time selections have allowed to create distinct characters.
There are more than 370 varieties in the world.
This fruit is mostly grown in China. It is thought, moreover, that it was created at the base for the workers of the Great Wall of China 2500 years ago. There is no certainty yet, they may have been created longer in Mesopotamia with cucumbers imported from India.
In addition to eating the fruit, the gherkin plant is able to hang on a large number of supports, using tendrils. It can therefore easily cover pergolas, fences and adorn gardens.
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