I Love Estonian cucumber

Raili Mengel – Executive manager of MTÜ Eesti Maaturism

Cucumber grown in Estonia, especially Tahkuranna, is my indisputable favourite! I have even respect towards cucumber, because I have been related to cucumber already from childhood. I grew up in Pärnu County, Romantic Beach Road, Tahkuranna, which has been a well-known cucumber growing area throughout the ages, and also a birth place of a cucumber species – Tahkuranna Muuromi. 

Cucumber has been the source of living for my family and neighbours. It is still a topical subject in my home area – we have organised annual Pickle Festival on 20 August since 2010. 

Personally, I never get fed up with cucumber. I eat cucumber with pleasure until today, in any form – fresh, salad, salted, pickled, sour. I have read that cucumber is very rich in natural curative elements. I often prefer cucumber to drinking water, because cucumber consists approximately 90% of water. Plenty of water and low amount of calories also create preconditions for losing weight with the help of cucumber. Cucumber contains much vitamins (A, B, C) and also magnesium. And most important – I just like the taste of local cucumber!

I do not prepare cucumbers for winter, as I am pleased to eat the production of cucumber growers of my home area. I am conscious consumer of the products made of Estonian raw material and, if possible, I prefer small producers and firm quality.
I share with you the recipes of cucumber growers Inge Must and Marje Pajusalu from my home area, www.rannatee.ee/retseptiraamat, which are undoubtedly prepared with best results by these ladies themselves. This is proved by the fact that they have been awarded the title of Best Taste in several years!